In Present Company
by Maria Arnt
Summary: When Kagome ends up alone with Sesshomaru hundreds of miles from home, how will their relationship develop as they journey together? Sess x Kag, Inu x Kikyo, Miroku x Sango, Kohaku x Rin yup, it's a shipper!
1. Chapter 1

_Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Story property of marriedmiko._

They all stared around at each other in mild shock. Had that just happened? Kikyo turned around, just in time for them to see the Shikon no Tama turn bright white and then disappear. Naraku was nothing but a pile of goo and ashes at her feet. They all waited a moment with baited breath, but he did not resurrect. Kikyo kneeled down and purified what was left into oblivion.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe he's really dead," Sango said quietly, Kohaku still clutched in her arms.

Miroku silently peeled the purple glove off his right hand. "Ah, that feels better…" He promptly reached over to goose Sango, who hit him before he could accomplish it.

"Not in front of my brother, you pervert!"

Everyone (except Sesshomaru) was enjoying the banter until they felt a shuddering beneath their feet. Rin squealed and latched herself onto Sesshomaru's armor. Kagome silently wondered if this was an earthquake, but the sensation seemed different from what she remembered.

"Quickly, we must get out of here!" Kikyo yelled. "This dimension is about to collapse, we must leave!"

At these words, everyone ran out of the building and back towards the strange orb that had brought them there. They all paused in front of it, the rumbling earth making it difficult to stand.

"We must all go in at the same time" Kikyo instructed. "But because Naraku entered from another place, we may not all end up where we started."

"We should arrange a place to meet up," Miroku suggested.

"The well!" Kagome shouted, as the earth heaved particularly violently.

"Ok!" InuYasha yelled, and they all jumped through the black bubble.

Kagome felt herself being pulled forward at an alarming speed. Traveling to another dimension was nothing like traveling to the past. This was frightening, dizzying, and rather nauseating. The flashes of light passing her were so intense that she closed her eyes against them. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt herself falling, and landed on the ground, knees first.

"Ow," she said, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Hn," Sesshomaru obviously did not approve of her weakness.

"Hey, InuYasha—" Kagome turned around to say something to him, but he was not there. Neither was anyone else. Except Sesshomaru. "What…"

Sesshomaru looked around as well, but looked less the fool while doing it. "It would appear that we have returned to the location from which Naraku entered."

"Where is this place?" Kagome wondered out loud.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "I just explained that."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I mean in relation to where we were before!"

Sesshomaru made no reaction, but breathed deeply. "North. Very far north."

"How far?" She asked.

With an exasperated sigh, Sesshomaru pointed to the cliff behind them. Kagome walked over to it cautiously, peeking over the edge. Down below was an ocean, but it was to the _south_. On the beach were villagers bringing in fish.

And they were all blonde.

"Oh my god…" she whispered. "We're in Hokkaido!"

"Precisely," Sesshomaru quipped. Kagome jumped, as he had somehow appeared just behind her without making any noise.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she said, a hand held to her chest.

Sesshomaru ignored her, peering into the distance. "It would appear that we are on the very southern edge, as that is Honshu."

Kagome squinted. "I don't see anything."

Sesshomaru looked at her as if she had said that she didn't have a horned tail. "Your eyesight is not as keen as mine. It is 12 miles away."

"Twelve miles!" Kagome looked around. "We'll have to buy one of those boats…" she looked around herself for something of value to trade.

"That will not be necessary. Besides, they would not give it to you."

Kagome frowned at him. "Why not? Supposing I had something to trade."

Sesshomaru held up a claw. "Firstly, you are not Ainu," he raised another, "Secondly, those boats are their livelihood."

Kagome stared at him. "I had no idea you had such an understanding of humans."

He smiled dangerously. "It is important to study one's prey."

Suddenly Kagome remembered who she was dealing with, and got very quiet. After a moment, she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Uh… Sesshomaru-sama," she tried the honorific, "How do you propose we cross the sea?"

He glanced at the coast once more before turning his back to it and walking north.

"Uh… Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome squeaked.

"We shall fly," He said, not even turning towards her. He stopped a distance from the cliff and then turned around.

"Fly?" Kagome wondered quietly.

Slowly, the dust around Sesshomaru's feet began to rise and swirl around him. He had his eyes closed, but when he opened them, they were red, the pupils small and blue. Kagome was instantly reminded of InuYasha when he transformed. The wind Sesshomaru was generating began to swirl faster and faster, while his face elongated. Kagome had only once seen him transform, and the memory made her shake with fear.

At last Sesshomaru was done, towering over Kagome. He lay down on the ground, looking like an enormous canine sphinx.

"Get on." A rough voice commanded, and Kagome guessed that it was Sesshomaru. She hurried to his side, realizing that he was probably none too pleased with carrying a human passenger. As she climbed up onto his back, she silently wondered why he was helping her at all. She decided it was better not to ask, and settled herself.

"Hang on tight," he said, and she wound her fingers in his fur. She was surprised at how soft it was, but lost all thought as he stood up and bounded straight into the air. She did not hear the cries from the villagers down below, because she was screaming. After only a few minutes, Sesshomaru landed, and Kagome slid off his back quickly, not needing instruction. She gave him room, and he transformed back, turning first into a ball of light and then into the form with which she was familiar.

"You shall mention this to no one," he said simply.

Still shaken, Kagome nodded compliantly. Sesshomaru turned, and began to walk south. Kagome followed.

_AN:_

_YAY!!! So I'm posting more stories! Some people on deviantArt had said they wanted to see this up, so I decided to make the effort of doing so. Fortunately this was written in chapter form, so that made it a little easier to post. Leave comments and tell me what you think!!!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, story property of marriedmiko._

After landing, Kikyo, InuYasha, and Miroku looked around at each other. They were already at the well.

"Kagome?" InuYasha looked for her. "Kagome!"

"She is not here," Kikyo said quietly, and InuYasha quieted, somewhat awkward.

"It would appear that we are the only ones who ended up in this location. I wonder where the others are," Miroku added.

"Well," InuYasha walked to the well. "I guess we'll just have to wait." He sat down next to the well, crossing his arms.

"Since when did he become patient?" Miroku whispered to Kikyo.

Kikyo merely smiled.

------

Sango sighed and took inventory: Kohaku, Shippo, Kirara, Rin and Jaken. And she had no idea where they were.

"Where are we?" Kohaku asked, voicing his sister's thoughts.

"This is where we came from!" Rin piped up.

Jaken gasped. "Sesshomaru-sama? Where are you???"

"Calm down, Jaken-sama. He must have ended up somewhere else, that's all," Rin offered.

"Alright, everybody, we have to stick together," Sango instructed. She realized that she and Jaken were the only adults, and that wasn't saying much as far as Jaken went. "Jaken, you take point. You know the way to the well, right?"

"Of course I do!" Jaken scurried to the east of her, and waited.

"Rin, Kohaku, you two look out for each other, ok?" They nodded, although Sango and Kohaku both knew this meant Kohaku, now 14, was supposed to look out for Rin, who was only 12.

"Shippo, you stay with me, and Kirara take up the back."

"Alright!" Shippo hopped up onto her shoulder. Kirara transformed into her larger state and followed behind as they walked. The sun was setting behind them, and it soon grew dark.

"We'll have to continue until we get tired, so we can make good time," Sango said, and there were murmurs of consent from the group.

Off in the woods, something made a strange sound, and Rin jumped. She looked around, and then took a hold of Kohaku's hand. He blushed, and looked away.

"I'm scared," Rin whispered.

"It was only an animal," Kohaku said consolingly.

Nevertheless, Rin kept holding his hand.

Sango pretended not to notice and hid her smile. She turned her thoughts toward their destination and thought of Miroku. Who knew what trouble he was getting himself into right now? Would he still keep his promise that he made so long ago? As a shooting star passed overhead, she silently wished that it would be so.

_AN:_

_Short chapter, which was originally two extremely short chapters. lol._


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome tried to stifle an enormous yawn. She was tired, and her legs were like lead. But Sesshomaru kept walking.

"Don't you ever get tired?" She asked, finally too tired to remember to be respectful.

"No."

"Do you even sleep?"

"Sometimes."

Kagome paused, thinking. "If you don't get tired then why do you sleep?"

"To replenish my strength."

"Aha! Then you do get tired!"

"No."

Kagome stopped walking, trying to wrap her very tired brain around what Sesshomaru had said. After a moment, she gave up, and went to keep walking.

Except her legs wouldn't move right.

Somehow she ended up on the ground, with Sesshomaru staring down at her disdainfully.

"Go to sleep." He said simply.

"Ok." And she did. Instantly.

Sesshomaru glanced to the south, allowing himself to look momentarily concerned. He thought again of what had been bothering him all day: what if Rin had ended up alone, or with someone who could not care for her? He looked down at the sleeping form of Kagome, so like Rin and yet so… different. Rin would forever be a little girl in his mind. Kagome, however, was clearly a woman. He guessed her to be about 19 years of age. She no longer wore the strange green outfit he had first seen her in, but this grey one was hardly any more modest. Almost the entire length of her shapely legs could be seen, and when she raised her arms the slimmest glimpse of stomach could be seen. It was very improper and very distracting, even for a Yokai.

Forcing his mind to change subjects, Sesshomaru looked to the south again. He sighed. If Kagome was going to keep sleeping like this, it would take almost two months to get back to the village of Edo. That was too long. Silently, he bent down and scooped up the sleeping girl. He intensely ignored the fact that his left hand rested on the bare crook of her knees, and began to walk south.

When Kagome awoke, she was surprised to find herself in a forest. Hadn't she fallen asleep in a meadow? She shook her head, reasoning that she might not remember some of the time she walked while half asleep. She stood up and stretched, which is when she noticed Sesshomaru sitting against a tree, staring at her. He looked away quickly.

She was about to ask what his problem was when her stomach made an awful noise. She hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast the day before, and she was starving.

"There is a village at the foot of this hill. You can get something to eat there." Sesshomaru stood up, and began walking towards the village.

Kagome frowned. "Why didn't we stay at the village last night then?"

"The village was not near last night."

"What?" Kagome was very confused.

Sesshomaru sighed. "You were wasting my time sleeping so I carried you."

Kagome blushed momentarily, but something tickled her brain. She looked hard, and noticed that poking out of his left sleeve were a full set of claws. That was strange… why hadn't she noticed that before? Come to think of it, why hadn't she noticed when he transformed?

"When did you get your arm back?" she asked.

"I believe it had something to do with the purification of the jewel."

Kagome caught up with him quickly. "Well, you don't seem too shocked."

"It takes a good deal to surprise me," Sesshomaru said simply. They walked the remainder of the way in silence. As they approached the village, people came rushing out of their huts to meet them. At first Kagome thought they had hostile intentions, but as they came closer they could hear shouts of "Welcome!" from the villagers.

When they arrived, they were treated with a large breakfast, which Sesshomaru turned down.

"You don't eat, either?" Kagome asked as she shoveled rice into her mouth.

"Not usually."

"Do you like the food?" The kind lady asked.

"Oh yes, it's delicious! I'm afraid we don't have much to give for it, though," Kagome said again.

"Oh, that's alright. You must meet the commander, though."

Kagome paused. "The commander?"

The girl beamed. "Oh yes, he's the leader of this village, and a wonderful person! I insist that you meet with him before you leave!"

There were comments of agreement from the other villagers in the room. Kagome shrugged. "Ok," she said before she continued to eat.

Sesshomaru thought silently. There was something about these people that was just _wrong_. They all seemed too happy, and there were suspiciously few men and boys. Something was not right. It would be interesting indeed to meet this commander.

After eating breakfast, they were led to a very strange looking castle. It looked like adobe to Kagome, but she knew that wasn't common in this era. It was late afternoon by this time.

"You must kneel in the commander's presence. He is a very great man," one of the women offered quietly before they entered his audience room. Before kneeling, Kagome noticed that the room was surrounded by high windows, beneath which sat all kinds of pottery on a ledge that went all the way around the large room. Sesshomaru did not kneel.

"Please," came a voice from the throne, "show a little respect."

Sesshomaru instantly went down on one knee, and Kagome noticed a strangely intense look in his eyes.

The commander walked forward, smiling.

"What are your names?" He asked Kagome.

"Kagome Higurashi and Sesshomaru, Lord of the West." Kagome said quickly, and then looked very confused.

"You fool," Sesshomaru hissed. "Why did you tell him that?"

"I—I didn't… I mean, I didn't mean to… I didn't think, I just said it…"

The commander laughed, a sound that was eerie in itself. "Oh, you two are going to be fun to play with. You can stand now."

Sesshomaru stood up immediately, as if he had been spring loaded. Kagome got to her feet a little slower, still confused.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shun Ishimaru. You may call me commander. I bet you are just dying to know why they all call me that. Well, you're about to find out. Touch your noses."

Kagome's finger instantly flew unbidden to her nose, while Sesshomaru's took a slower path, as if he were fighting it. Suddenly Kagome understood. Whatever this man said, they had to do.

The man laughed again, and took a few more steps forward. "I always love that one. You can stop now."

Kagome began to step backwards, more out of fear than planning.

"Oh, please, don't leave. Come forward."

Both she and Sesshomaru took a few steps closer.

"Have a seat."

They both sat on cushions that were on the floor, wary of what was going to happen. The commander clapped his hands, and several women came in. They lit the lamps, placed trays before Kagome and Sesshomaru, and took seats around the room, chattering happily.

"Please, try this delicacy. See if you can guess what it is."

Although she was not hungry, Kagome picked up the piece of meat and began to chew. Sesshomaru did the same. It was rather tough, but Kagome didn't recognize the flavor.

Sesshomaru swallowed, and Kagome wondered how he could have chewed the tough meat so quickly.

"This is dog meat," he said, sounding disgusted.

Kagome gagged.

"Don't spit it out! That would be so rude."

As Kagome struggled with this predicament, the commander smiled at Sesshomaru. "You are an inuyokai, are you not?"

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome. "Swallow it or you will only continue to taste it."

She did so quickly, and then coughed. Behind her, many of the women laughed pettily. Sesshomaru could tell that they were being controlled as well. The controller snapped his fingers, and the trays were taken away. The controller walked around them a few times, as if examining them.

"Stand up." They did so. He turned to Kagome, who obviously had a harder time resisting his commands. "Explain everything about why you are here."

"We—" but she didn't say anymore, because she had put her hands over her mouth, and Sesshomaru had placed his over hers.

The commander sighed. "Sesshomaru, hold her hands away from her face."

Slowly, Sesshomaru peeled Kagome's hands away and held them, an angry but apologetic look in his eyes.

"Continue, Kagome," the commander ordered.

"We are here because we ended up in Hokkaido after we traveled back from a different dimension."

The commander mulled that over a bit, deciding he didn't want to know exactly what that meant. "Where are you going?"

"South, towards the village of Edo."

"And what is your relation to him" he nodded towards Sesshomaru.

"Uh… I am… good friends with his brother. He helped us defeat Naraku, who was in the other dimension. Somehow we got separated when we came back, and we are trying to get back to where we started."

The commander paused. "This brother of Sesshomaru's… what are your feelings for him?" he smiled wickedly.

Kagome looked at the floor, but the words spilled out of her mouth. "I have had a crush on him for a long time."

"How long?"

"Almost four years."

"And did anything come of this… crush?"

Kagome looked as if she would cry. "Not really."

Once again, the women laughed at her

"Stop this now." Sesshomaru said dangerously, unable to do anything while he still held Kagome's wrists. "This is degrading."

The commander laughed once more. "Well, of course it is! It wouldn't be entertaining if it wasn't, now would it? Now what shall we do with you…?"

Immediately, Sesshomaru stopped hearing. He could turn off any of his senses at will, and was very good at hearing, since he often did it to ignore Jaken's prattling. The commander merely smiled, looking straight at him. Suddenly, he looked at Kagome, realizing the commander might do something to her to affect him. However, she looked fine. No, he thought strangely, she looks better than fine. Suddenly she appeared extremely beautiful and alluring to him, and he felt his arms wrapping around her tightly. He realized with horror that the controller was still having an effect on him, making his thoughts go in directions he chose to avoid. He held Kagome to himself, extremely grateful that his armor hid the nature of his predicament. Something wasn't right, though. He realized dimly that Kagome was hitting him. He turned his hearing back on.

"Sesshomaru…" she said breathlessly, "You're hurting me…."

He let go of her, suddenly released from the spell. She collapsed to the ground and tried to catch her breath as the commander's laughter rang through the hall. Sesshomaru sprang at the commander, but when he swiped his face with his claws, they went right through. He was unaffected, a phantom projected from somewhere else.

Sesshomaru glared at him a moment, while the commander smiled smugly back.

"I would speak with you privately." Sesshomaru said beneath his breath.

The commander leaned over so he could see Kagome. "Stay there, you can't hear us."

"What?" Kagome asked, now deaf.

"You can read minds?" Sesshomaru demanded.

The commander laughed. "No, but I can project commands. I didn't need to read your mind, my dear yokai. It was obvious, the way you looked at her. Can't blame you, personally, she is a pretty little thing. I might have some fun with her myself."

"You wouldn't dare," Sesshomaru growled.

"Oh, I would. But you see, that would require a body, something which I lack. But I could always live vicariously through you…"

"What are you guys saying?!" Kagome demanded.

Sesshomaru glared at the commander a moment longer, and then turned his back on him. He helped Kagome up.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"We're leaving," Sesshomaru answered.

"Hey, why couldn't I hear you before?" she asked as she stood up.

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but took hold of her wrist and headed towards the door.

"Stop," the commander said simply, and Sesshomaru slowed to a snail's pace. He struggled to move an inch or two, succeeding only marginally. The women who had been sitting came and stood in his way.

"Get out of my way," he said through clenched teeth.

"Ladies, please make sure that Sesshomaru will be comfortable for his stay. Kagome, help them."

Kagome instantly took hold of Sesshomaru's obi, and then blushed profusely. She and the other women removed his armor, swords, and haori top, leaving him standing in his hakama and shoes. He bore it with dignity, and would not look into Kagome's beet red face.

"Kagome," the commander said sweetly. "You should be comfortable too."

Kagome removed her long-sleeved high school uniform top, infinitely glad she wore a tank top underneath. The commander walked around them once more, and then nodded approvingly.

"Please, enjoy your stay here," he joked, no command in his voice.

A few of the women had opened two wide doors only to reveal a cell with iron bars and a padded floor.

"Go ahead, go in." The commander said sweetly.

This time, even Kagome resisted a little, but eventually they ended up in the cell. The iron bars slammed shut behind them, and Sesshomaru rushed at them, only to be thrown back against the back wall of the cell.

"Like my barrier?" the commander asked smugly. "I'll warn you, it's about a foot away from the bars, so don't try to get any closer. Have a good night." He walked away, and they listened as everyone left the room and the doors were closed.

"What the hell?" Kagome felt for the barrier, and passed through it. She shook the iron bars, to no effect. She realized that she could get through the barrier because unlike Sesshomaru, she could not bend the iron. She slid down the wall, sitting on the floor with an exasperated sigh.

"This has got to be the weirdest trap I've ever fallen into."

"Hn." Sesshomaru agreed.

"Why the heck did he put us in here anyway?" Sesshomaru didn't answer, and Kagome watched as the last light faded from the windows. She scanned the room thoughtfully, and suddenly noticed one of the jars on the window ledge was still glowing. She looked at it carefully, realizing it was an aura.

"Hey, Sesshomaru. That commander guy is a phantom, right? Your claws went right through him."

"I believe that is correct." Sesshomaru agreed.

Kagome smiled. "I think I know where his body is. Could you—" Kagome stopped short. Sesshomaru's jyaki had just fluxuated violently, sending a shiver up her spine.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome turned around slowly. He was down on the ground, his claws buried in the padding of the floor, his head low, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. "Sesshomaru, are you ok?"

"Stay away from me!" he shouted.

Kagome gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "Is he commanding you to hurt me or something?"

"No," came the strained answer. Inwardly, Sesshomaru almost laughed. _That _would have been much easier to resist.

Kagome took a few steps towards him. "What's wrong?"

"I said stay away from me, girl!"

She jumped at the harsh tone of his voice, but reached a hand out to him. "Is there anything I can—"

Suddenly Sesshomaru reached up and yanked her arm, pulling her forcefully to the ground and into his lap. He pressed her to him tightly, a slight growl escaping from his throat. "I told you to stay away from me, Kagome." He breathed in her ear.

"Wha—" Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru pressed her hips against his, making the situation _very _obvious to her. She was suddenly very aware of the way she was sitting, his hand on her back and the feel of his bare chest against her arms, his skin hot to the touch. He began to kiss her neck, and she shivered.

"Sesshomaru…" she said breathless, "don't…"

There was no conviction in her voice, and Sesshomaru heard that. He did not stop. His right hand traced its way down her side to her knee, and then began to move slowly back up. "You should wear longer clothing, you know," he murmured against her skin as his hand slid under the hem of her skirt. She gasped again, her fingers reflexively clutching his shoulders.

"Sesshomaru…" she whispered, unsure. She felt herself begin to react to him, and a moan escaped her unbidden as he began to rock her against him. He growled again, and laid her down onto the floor, moving himself on top of her. At this point he couldn't even tell if he was still being controlled, he wanted her so badly. She wound her fingers in his hair, and made little noises that surprised and excited him. He captured her mouth hungrily, and she returned the kiss shyly. He slid the little strap that held up what little covered her off her shoulder, kissing along her collarbone and then lower. Her breath came fast and hot, and he felt her hands press against his back. He reached down, and took hold of her leg, pulling it up a little to increase their contact. She moaned again at the result, and he began to pull the other strap down off her shoulder…

Kagome's mind was lost to the things Sesshomaru was doing to her. Her head swam, and she thought of nothing but the new sensations he surprised her with. There was a tickling at the back of her brain that this was wrong, but she couldn't remember why, who would care—

"InuYasha." She said suddenly, the thought coming straight out of her mouth. Sesshomaru paused, and then suddenly he was on the other side of the room, not looking at her.

"Get between the barrier and the bars."

"Why?" she asked, her brain still very unorganized and confused.

"Do it, NOW!" he yelled. She jumped and did as she was told. He glanced at her, and then sighed, sliding down the wall to sit opposite her.

"I'm sorry…" Kagome said shakily, 'I didn't mean to—"

"Stop apologizing. It isn't you."

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Kagome asked.

"I am being controlled," Sesshomaru said simply, and Kagome's eyes went wide. "This is what we spoke of earlier when you couldn't hear, this is why he put us in here. The only way to protect yourself is to stay on the other side of that barrier."

Kagome's mouth hung open. "Then you… you don't…you feel nothing for me?" she slid the strap of her tank top back onto her shoulder absently.

Sesshomaru hesitated. He knew he should lie to her. "If you are asking whether I am attracted to you I think the answer is obvious. However, as for feelings…" he paused, trying to find a way out of her question. "I am a yokai and you are human," he said coolly. "What do you think?"

Kagome bit her lip, clearly hurt. "Oh." She said simply. Sesshomaru could clearly see the tears rimming her eyes. He wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to tell her the truth, wanted to do everything they had just done all over again, but he couldn't, for her own good. He simply sat against the wall, fighting the urge to run at the barrier.

"Try to get some sleep." He said simply.

She nodded, and lay on her side in the narrow strip protecting her. She could not sleep though, and found herself staring at the ethereal image of Seshomaru lit by the moonlight streaming into the room. He would occasionally open his eyes and look at her, as if debating something. The whole picture was so alluring, so enticing to her, and she was confused. In all the four years she had been with InuYasha she had never felt this strongly about it. She had hoped for a kiss, or an embrace, and even fantasized about making out, but she had never dared to think of anything more than that. Here she had been with Sesshomaru for less than a week, before which he would have probably killed her as soon as looked at her, and now _this_. As she stared at him, she realized that she in turn wanted him very badly, and she had a sneaking suspicion it had nothing to do with being controlled. At last she drifted off to sleep.

Not much later, she awoke to find Sesshomaru asleep. She was very uncomfortable lying on her side against the cold metal bars, and something at the back of her mind suggested she would be more comfortable with Sesshomaru. She was halfway across the cell when she realized what was going on, but by then she couldn't stop. With mild horror, she followed her feet to Sesshomaru's sleeping form, still sitting against the wall. She sat on his lap, much in the same way she had earlier, but nothing happened.

Sesshomaru, knowing that the commander could not read his mind, pretended to be asleep. Of course, Kagome knew the truth. If she hadn't already known that such a thing would easily wake him, and he was probably awake when she stood up, it was now very obvious to her that he was, in fact, awake and aware of the situation. He half murmured something, and slid an arm around her back, as if still mostly asleep. Only she heard what he said.

"Fall asleep."

She rested her head against his shoulder, terribly uncomfortable. Physically, she was in heaven. But mentally, she knew that she couldn't move at all or she would make the situation exponentially worse. Sesshomaru was probably even more uncomfortable. However, sleep eventually came to claim her.

_AN_

_And an extremely long chapter… tee hee… this is what happens when you let your subconscious write your stories…._


	4. Chapter 4

_InuYasha and characters from that show belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Everything else belongs to me._

"Oh, now isn't that adorable." The voice of the commander woke them, or rather Kagome, as Sesshomaru hadn't slept for the remainder of the night. He still pretended though, squinting and making all the faces that humans make when they wake up.

"Too bad it was such a disappointment."

Kagome blushed, removing herself from Sesshomaru's lap slowly. He knew she was tired, but Sesshomaru secretly imagined it was because she was reluctant. He stood as well, walking as close to the barrier as he dared.

"You will release us now, or I will tear this place apart stone by stone with my claws." He said in a low voice.

The commander merely laughed. "Of course I will let you out. You have to eat breakfast." He motioned to one of the women, who unlocked the door. Sesshomaru paused, and put forward a hand. The barrier was gone, and he walked through. He wanted very badly to attack the commander, but knew it would do little good and so he conserved his strength. He and Kagome sat on the cushions unbidden, knowing the routine. Trays were brought in, but this time the women left them alone. They stared at the food.

"Oh, don't worry. There's no dog meat in this. Just plain old breakfast food."

Still, they did not touch it.

The commander sighed. "Eat. You'll need it for stamina."

They ate, but Kagome shot Sesshomaru a worried look. What did he mean, stamina?

When they had finished, the trays were taken away, and the commander once more circled them. His habit was beginning to remind Kagome of a vulture, but she found little humor in it.

"I am very disappointed by your performance last night," he said, as if he were chastising an acting troupe. "So we're going to try something different. Kagome, you may not say the name 'InuYasha,' who I am guessing is Sesshomaru's brother, or mention him in any way. Sesshomaru, you are not allowed to move your feet from where they are now unless you sit or lie down." He walked back to his throne and reclined leisurely. He waved his hand in a very imperial manner. "You may begin."

Kagome was about to demand something of him when she felt her feet begin to move of their own accord again. She walked up to Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe to kiss him, rather more passionately that she would normally have done.

Sesshomaru held very still, only just barely putting his arms around her slender waist. He inwardly smiled at the commander's faulty plan. What he didn't know was that Sesshomaru disliked sexual initiation on a woman's part. Frankly, Kagome's shyness was a large part of her appeal. Therefore, this was exceptionally easy to ignore.

Kagome's mind fought against the force driving her body. How could she get rid of this guy? She knew which jar contained his real form, but how to tell Sesshomaru without him noticing? She left Sesshomaru's lips, pulling his head down gently so she could nibble on his earlobe inconspicuously.

"His body is on the—"

The commander stood up. "Don't say it!" With this new command Kagome was released from the first. While she could not speak, she quickly pointed to the jar she had seen glowing last night. Sesshomaru nodded and dropped to the ground, rolling onto his back before coming back up in a handstand, from which he launched himself into the air. Midair he lashed out at the ledge of jars Kagome had pointed to with the whip of light, missing the correct jar by just a few.

"Stop that!" came the command, and Sesshomaru was released. He touched the ground only for a moment before leaping onto the shelf itself, kicking the jar off. It shattered on the ground far below, revealing the ashes which had been stored in it.

The commander rushed to the pile of ashes. "No! Look what you've done!"

At the same time, several women rushed into the room. Before they could do anything, Sesshomaru jumped to the floor and kicked the ashes into the wind.

The commander faded and disappeared to the shrieking horror of the women.

"What have you done! You killed him! How could you kill him?!" They screamed.

Sesshomaru was having none of it. "Where are your sons and your husbands? What has this man done for your village but destroy it?"

They quieted, as if seeing everything around them for the first time. Then they really did cry, collapsing against each other. Kagome went to them, putting her hand on the back of a young woman.

"I'm so sorry for what has happened here… but… could we get our clothes back?"

The women wiped their eyes on their sleeves, sniffing. "Yes of course, just a moment." One of them left to retrieve their belongings.

"Thank you so much," one of the women said to Sesshomaru. He merely snorted and turned away from them.

"He's not much on tact or gratitude," Kagome said quietly, although she was sure Sesshomaru had heard it.

The woman came in with their clothes, and Kagome quickly slid on her uniform shirt. She watched as Sesshomaru donned his haori, silently regretting that she would probably never see him shirtless again. To her surprise, he put his armor on by himself with ease, and then walked to the door.

"We are leaving now, Kagome."

She nodded, following.

"Oh, but the villagers will want to meet you! Won't you stay another night?"

"NO." came the unanimous reply. "I'm sorry, but we really must be on our way." Kagome explained. She hurried to catch up to Sesshomaru, who was already half way out of the building.

They continued to walk south, the villager's cheering following after them. They were both very quiet, thinking about the night before. Kagome was trying to reason out her feelings for InuYasha and Sesshomaru, and having very little success. Sesshomaru, however, was agonizing over his lie. After they had walked a few miles he finally gave up and decided an apology was acceptable. He had, after all, insulted her.

"I apologize for my conduct last night." He said stiffly, the interruption of silence making her jump.

She blushed a little. "Oh, that's alright. You were being controlled. It's me who should apologize, I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe it. I mean, I should have figured it out, right?" She smiled at him, but he could tell it was extremely hard to do so. He was speechless. She had totally misinterpreted his apology and he was unsure how he could explain it.

"Besides," she went on. "What's past is past. Let's just get home."

Sesshomaru let the issue go, as she clearly didn't want to discuss it. She walked quickly ahead of him, so that he could not see her face. It was going to be a long trip.

_AN_

_Oh how I love UST and angst… there should be a word for those two combined… it would be teh aweshomeness…._


	5. Chapter 5

After three days of walking and keeping the others out of trouble, Sango finally made it back to the village of Edo. She was wondering what Miroku was up to, when suddenly he came running out of Kaede's hut.

"Sango!" he called, and caught her up in a big hug.

Totally confused, Sango hardly noticed as Miroku very blatantly put his hand where it should not be. She realized the situation quickly though, and smacked him accordingly.

"Aw, come on. I've been waiting 3 days to do that!" He said, still smiling. He put his hands on either side of her face, growing serious. "I was worried about you. I'm so glad you're ok."

"_You _were worried about _me_?" She asked, her own tone light. "I was half sick that you would be chatting up every maid in the village!"

"Actually, he has behaved exceptionally well, from what my sister tells me of his reputation." Kikyo came out of the hut, looking significantly less gloomy than usual. She looked at the group, and then frowned a little. "Kagome is not with you?" she asked.

"No, I thought she was with you."

"Where is Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked impatiently.

"He isn't with us either," Miroku said apologetically. The adults all looked at each other, serious.

"I will go tell InuYasha. He will be upset." Kikyo offered.

"That's an understatement," Sango said under her breath as Kikyo walked away.

Rin looked confused. "Why would InuYasha be upset that Kagome was with Sesshomaru?" she asked naively.

Sango smiled a little, realizing she may have backed herself into a corner. "Well, InuYasha doesn't trust his brother, and may not think he would take care of her properly," she answered honestly.

Rin thought about that a moment. "But he takes really good care of me. I bet Kagome's a lot easier to take care of, since she's a grownup and can fight."

"Hmph. No kidding." Jaken agreed.

"Yeah, well, Sesshomaru isn't exactly the nicest person around," Shippo interjected, always the candid one.

"I don't know," Kohaku said, still quiet. "He did spare my life, with little reason to."

Sango nodded, "But InuYasha is very—"

SLAP.

"What is your problem, Monk?" Sango demanded of Miroku.

He laughed. "I'm sorry, I can't help myself. I'm just not used to feeling with this hand!" He thought Sango would smack him again, but instead she picked up his right arm.

"Oh, that's right, I totally forgot!" she turned his hand over, looking at the bare palm. She gasped. "It scarred!"

"Yeah," Miroku said, "Kikyo says it's from the shouki. She's got one too."

"Cool! Lemmy see!" Kohaku said, and Shippo rushed to poke it as well.

InuYasha was dragged out of his thoughts by a familiar-but-not-familiar scent. He looked up. "Oh hey, Kikyo. What's up?"

Kikyo smiled a little. "Sango and some of the others have returned."

InuYasha made to stand up, but Kikyo held out a hand. "Kagome is not with them."

"Oh." InuYasha relaxed a little.

"Neither is Sesshomaru."

"What?!" InuYasha stood up, but then sat back down when he realized there was nothing he could do. "Well, this is just great. If he so much as lays a claw on her I'll… I'll rip his other arm off! See how he likes that!"

Kikyo's eyebrows shot up. "You really care for her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. She is my friend. I'd do the same for any of the others, and they'd do the same for me."

Kikyo doubted they would pick that particular method, but was intrigued by what InuYasha had just said. "The others told me you had a special relation. They were convinced that the two of you had some feelings between you."

InuYasha shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. She always made me think of you, and well… you know. But she's so bossy! She gets real impatient with me and tells me to Sit all the time, and that really pisses me off."

Kikyo smiled, and placed a hand on the well to sit next to him. As she sat, however, her hand slid, and she hissed as a sliver went into her thumb.

"Here." InuYasha took her hand, and deftly plucked the sliver out. A little red drop formed, and InuYasha looked for something to bandage it before stopping suddenly.

"Kikyo…"

Kikyo yanked her hand back, as if trying to hide it.

"What did you wish when you purified the jewel?" he asked, a suspicious note in his voice.

Kikyo sighed, and stared at the small prick of blood on her finger. "I wished that everyone would have what was best for them. It was the most selfless thing I could think of. I never expected to survive the purification, and I had no idea it would make me… alive."

InuYasha's eyes went wide, and he realized suddenly that she no longer smelled of graveyard dirt. However, she didn't smell the same as she had before. "So, you're human again??"

She shook her head. "I don't eat much and I hardly sleep. I'm not human… I'm … something else."

"Like a yokai?" He asked.

She frowned. "Something like that. Except purer. I can still shoot sacred arrows and otherwise act as a priestess, but things are… different."

InuYasha went silent, for once mulling things over in his head. Kikyo was alive, and more like a yokai than a human. Kagome was who knew where with Sesshomaru. Did this have to do with Kikyo's wish? What was best for him, he wondered? What was best for Kagome? And what about Kikyo? He stared at the once-dead girl, wondering what the Shikon no Tama had intended, and what the future held for all of them.

_AN_

_Because I hate it when authors of Sess x Kag stories kill InuYasha to get him out of the way._


	6. Chapter 6

_You know the drill._

Thankfully, the next week and a half was filled with nothing but tedious walking for Kagome and Sesshomaru. They came across villages, but Sesshomaru scouted them first. Nothing suspicious ever appeared, and they began to think that the commander had been the only problem in a good stretch of land. Unfortunately, this lack of excitement made Kagome think a lot. And then talk about it.

Mostly Sesshomaru was riddled with ridiculous small things like "Isn't this a pleasant little copse?" and "It sure is nice out today," and other mindless small talk. However, she quickly gave up on these and even acted as if she didn't expect Sesshomaru to answer. Occasionally, though, she would grow silent for a long time, which meant she was working up the courage to ask him something. Usually something annoying.

"Why are you helping me anyway?" she finally asked one day. "I mean, I'm a human and well… yeah." Kagome was clearly recalling Sesshomaru's comment from several days ago. "What happened that we went from you trying to kill me to…" she paused, trying to think of something appropriate to say, "…this."

Sesshomaru thought that over for a moment, and was glad that by now she had learned that just because he didn't answer right away didn't mean he wasn't going to answer.

"We were allies against Naraku," he gave as an excuse.

"Yeah, but he's dead now, and I was under the impression that was a rather reluctant alliance," Kagome mused.

"Only because it involved InuYasha."

Kagome smiled. "Oh, yeah." She paused for a moment. "But I mean, you're almost being nice to me. What's with that?"

Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned to face her, leveling his most disdainful glare at her. "Would you prefer something else?"

Kagome laughed nervously. "Uh, no. I was just curious."

They continued walking, and Kagome appeared to think they had dropped the subject. Sesshomaru continued to think about it though. Curiosity was not necessarily a bad thing, he rather encouraged it in Rin. So he carefully put the reason into words.

"I admire your courage," he said finally, surprising Kagome.

Kagome just stared at him for a moment like he had just proclaimed his love of fluffy little kittens. "What?" she asked. Had he just _complemented_ her?

"When I first encountered you, you were nothing but a squealing little girl who got herself into situations she couldn't handle. It was annoying."

"Oh." Kagome said. That definitely _wasn't_ a compliment.

"But instead of giving up and running home to safety, you worked to improve your fighting skills, so that you are now able to hold your own in a conflict. I understand that the world you come from has little war and no close combat. It says something about your character that you return here to fight. It shows a sense of duty."

Ignoring the fact that that was probably the most words she had ever heard Sesshomaru string together, she thought about that. "I felt that because I had brought the Shikon no Tama, and then broken it, it was my responsibility to see that it was collected and purified, even if I didn't end up doing most of it."

They were quiet for a moment. "What will you do now?" he asked.

She laughed. "I don't know! I never really thought about it. I mean, I suppose I should go home and finish high school or something, but I've made so many friends here. I'm actually afraid to go back home. What if the well won't let me back? I don't want to leave my friends forever. I suppose at one time I would have stayed with InuYasha, but I don't know anymore."

Sesshomaru's interest peaked. He was not usually one to pay any notice to the affairs of humans, but this had significance. "I was under the impression that you two were … affectionate towards each other."

Kagome blushed for a moment. "We used to be. There was a time that I thought that he was… should be part of my future, you know? But things changed. Lately he just seems to be so immature all the time. I don't understand it, he never used to be that bad."

"Hn." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome had worked out that 'Hn' meant there was something he wasn't saying. "What?"

"I do not recall a time when InuYasha was not immature. Perhaps it is you who have changed."

"What do you mean?"

"By human standards, what age would you have guessed InuYasha was when you first met him?"

"Oh, about 17. Older than me."

"And now?"

Kagome paused a moment, thinking. Suddenly it hit her. "He's still 17!"

"Two years younger and less mature than you."

"But—but why?"

"In the 50 years that InuYasha was pinned to the tree by Kikyo's arrow he aged one, maybe two years. And that was not entirely an effect of the spell."

Kagome froze. "Because he's a hanyou?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but Kagome figured she was right. She was older than InuYasha now, and that posed a huge problem.

"How old are you?" Kagome asked, out of sheer curiosity. Once the words were out of her mouth, she realized the implication they seemed to draw and blushed.

Sesshomaru seemed not to notice. "Almost a thousand years."

Kagome's eyes went wide. "Woah…" she had guessed that he was more than 200, since he was older than InuYasha, but she had never imagined… "You look like you're 20-something!"

"InuYokai age even slower than hanyous, and until we are very old we look much the same that I do now," he explained.

"I suppose that makes sense."

"When my father died, he was only just past his prime. He was more than 4,000 years old."

Kagome tried to wrap her brain around that for a moment. Suddenly something came to mind. "So, 500 years is just like, the blink of an eye?"

"No. We sense the passing of time the same, we just last longer. It becomes rather monotonous after a while."

_Thus the killing sprees for entertainment_, Kagome thought to herself. It also explained why in the four years she had known him, Shippo still looked like a baby. "I suppose it would."

After this conversation, Kagome rarely tried to make small talk. Instead, she would tell stories. Sesshomaru rarely said anything, but he did not object either. Kagome got the idea that a good tale was a welcome thing in all that monotony. Most of her stories were things she and her friends had done when he was not there.

"…and then we got lost in this strange forest. The trees all looked dead, and suddenly we each thought ourselves to be alone. You see, if you touch the roots of the trees, they make you believe that you are living your worst fear. Miroku thought his hand was consuming him, Shippo thought he had been deserted, Sango saw Kohaku kill her family all over again, and InuYasha relived the day that Kikyo killed him."

"What did you see?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome blushed, not wanting to tell him. "Oh, I think it was something stupid, like failing an exam or something."

Sesshomaru sensed that she wished to change the subject. "Exam?"

Kagome smiled, returning to another subject of discussion: her world. "It's short for examination. You see, from a very young age my people spend most of their time learning, and from time to time they are tested to see how well they have learned. How you do on your exams often effects the direction of the rest of your life."

"Ah. A trial by fire," Sesshomaru reasoned.

"Well, not really. This is scholarly learning, not fighting. So mainly you have to answer a whole bunch of questions in a given amount of time."

Sesshomaru snorted delicately. "That is not difficult."

Kagome turned on him "Of course it is! You have to study for hours and hours, and humans aren't known for photographic memories, you know!"

Sesshomaru did not react. "Futogurafuiku?" he asked, the English word unfamiliar.

Kagome smacked her hand to her forehead. "It means perfect, like you have a drawing of everything you've ever seen in your head."

"Is that not the nature of memory?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome sighed. "Not for humans. Some things, important things, they remember perfectly. But most things are vague or fuzzy, and some things we don't remember at all."

"Hn." Before Kagome could ask, he continued. "What is a futogurafuiku?"

"Photograph," Kagome pronounced it correctly. "Well, in my world we have this device called a camera…" she tried to think of how to explain it.

"Another mashinu?" he suggested.

"Yeah, it's a machine, usually battery-powered. You see, when you push a button, the camera instantly draws a little picture of whatever is in front of it. Kind of like woodblock, but it looks _exactly_ like what was in front of it. The picture is called a photograph. We like to keep them to help our memories."

"Ah," Sesshomaru said, a little doubtful.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Here." She pulled a small card out of her pocket and showed it to him. "This is a photograph of me and my friends. See how much it looks like me?"

Sesshomaru peered at it for a moment. "The resemblance is striking."

Kagome smiled, triumphant, and replaced the picture. They walked silently for a few minutes, while Sesshomaru thought.

"Do all women from your world dress as you do?"

Kagome blushed profusely, vividly remembering Sesshomaru's last comment on her uniform. "Uh, well… sort of. Most of the girls my age are still in school, in what we call High School. Each school has a different uniform, kind of like each daimyo has a different banner for his samurai. That way, you can tell which school they go to. It's a matter of pride outside of school, and within it makes everyone equal. It also keeps the girls from wearing anything immodest to school."

Sesshomaru frowned. "They wear less?"

Kagome blushed again. "Well, only the ones who aren't very… proper. But yeah."

Sesshomaru thought about that for a moment. "I should like to visit your world some time."

Kagome laughed. "That's what Miroku says!"

Sesshomaru frowned slightly, but let her comment pass. In truth, he had not meant the two ideas to be connected. It was just that her world sounded so _different_, it would be a nice break from what he'd lived with for so long. No, he thought, this Sesshomaru is _not _a pervert. Not at all. Which is why he did _not _just look at Kagome's legs. Of course not. And he didn't look again.

Sesshomaru sighed and closed his eyes to keep himself from checking out his companion a third time. This was going to be a very _long_ journey.

_AN_

_Poor Sesshomaru, it's not his fault males are visual._


	7. Chapter 7

Miroku stood and wiped the sweat off of his brow, looking at the roof he had just finished fixing. "That should do it, lady Kaede."

"Thank you very much, Miroku. You have been a great help to me."

"Anything to help." Miroku carefully lowered himself down the ladder. "Where is InuYasha anyway? He'd be better at this sort of thing."

Kaede looked off into the woods. "I believe he is walking with my sister."

Miroku gave Kaede a knowing look, and she returned it. "Those two have been spending a lot of time together lately," he said warily.

Kaede nodded. "I too am worried. Kikyo, however, seems to be in better spirits than I remember her ever being."

Miroku furrowed his brow. "But Kagome…"

"I too, am worried about the girl's reaction. But we shall see." She smiled, no longer serious. "Speaking of girls, where is yours? You should go talk to her, you've been working here all day."

Miroku grinned. "I shall do that."

After wandering about the village for a while, he came across Sango sitting on a hillside over looking the rice paddies. He sat down beside her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Sango nodded towards the rice paddies. "Kohaku is demonstrating his skill with his weapon."

Miroku looked to see Kohaku throw the sickle-chain and retrieve it with a fancy flourish. Rin, who was nearby, clapped exitedly. Miroku chuckled. "Those two are fast friends, aren't they?"

Sango grinned. "Oh, I think Rin has more on her mind than friendship."

Miroku looked puzzled. "She's so young!"

Sango nodded. "She's been through a lot though, and it would take a mature girl not to test Sesshomaru's patience. Besides…" she narrowed her eyes, looking the monk in the eye. "You've propositioned younger."

Miroku held up his hands. "I made it very clear that I was referring to when they were _older_." He grinned. "Besides, who needs little girls? They're so…" he glanced down suggestively, "_little_."

Sango shoved Miroku lightly, knowing he meant it as a compliment. "Pervert."

Miroku laughed. "Well how am I supposed to help myself around such beauty?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "That's enough, I think I'm going to gag!" she laughed as well.

They sat quietly for a while, watching the two children down below. "Last night was… nice." Sango said quietly.

Miroku smiled a little, and kissed her forehead. "Yes, it was."

She sighed. "I love you."

His smile widened. "I love you too." He looked up, and then laughed. "But what are we going to do about your brother?"

She laughed too. Rin was whispering something in Kohaku's ear, and he was staring right up at them, blushing profusely. "What on earth is she saying?"

"Probably making suggestions."

She rolled her eyes. "Not everyone is perverted as you, monk." They watched as Rin stopped whispering and then suddenly kissed Kohaku on the cheek. He was so surprised he lost his balance and fell into the paddy.

Rin could hear the laughter of the grownups as she carefully stepped down into the water, offering a hand to Kohaku. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

Kohaku took her hand and stood up, now soaking wet. "That's ok," he said, still blushing. "I just… wasn't expecting that."

Rin grinned mischievously. "Did you like it?"

Kohaku's eyes went wide. "I uh… I…" he stammered, running a hand through his hair. "Uh… yeah." He grinned shyly.

Rin leaned in as if to kiss him again, and Kohaku stopped her. "Wait!" he glanced towards his sister and the monk sitting on the hill. "Not here."

Rin smiled. "Y'wanna go in the woods?"

Kohaku blushed to the roots of his hair. "Uh… um… well…" he looked down at his soaking armor. "Not right now. If I don't go dry of my armor it will rust."

Rin pouted a little. "Ok. I'll help you!"

Sango and Miroku smiled to themselves as they watched the two young lovebirds walk back to the village.

_AN:_

_So usually I'm a Rin x Sesshomaru kinda gal, but I always thought the Rin x Kohaku thing was cute, esp. if Sesshomaru really did see himself as a father figure. I know a lot of people find Rin x Sess stuff disturbing for that reason._


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh look! A village!" Kagome said as they crested a hill. Sesshomaru had known it was there ages ago, when he had smelled it, and had begun walking towards it. They hadn't come across a village in a long time.

Kagome sighed, relieved. "I am so hungry! Let's go see if anyone will give us some food." The last village they had visited, four days ago, had had a minor yokai problem, which Kagome had taken care of single-handedly, much to Sesshomaru's surprise. They had given them provisions and money in return. The provisions had run out the day before. They walked towards the village—or rather Kagome ran, and Sesshomaru continued at his previous pace after her—but when they arrived, it was sparsely populated. It appeared that they had a yokai problem, too, but it wasn't in the village.

Since they had plenty of food to spare due to the lack of population, they were more than happy to feed Kagome. As she ate, the village elder tried to talk to Sesshomaru.

"In what direction are you headed, my lord?" he asked respectfully.

Sesshomaru just stared at him.

"South," Kagome said around a mouthful of rice.

The elder ignored her, imagining that it was Sesshomaru who had answered. "You must not go in that direction, my lord. You must go around the mountain to our south, or you risk your life."

Kagome stopped eating, suddenly more interested in the problem than her food. "Is that why you guys are missing so many people?" she asked.

The elder did not look at her, but continued to stare at Sesshomaru. "I'm afraid so. At night, a strange mist comes down from the mountain. In the morning, people are missing from their beds. The bodies are found on the mountain, with no blood in them."

Kagome swallowed. "What on earth?"

"You see," the elder continued, "There are succubae on the mountain. No one knows what they look like, for no one who has ever seen them has lived to tell about it."

Kagome looked to Sesshomaru, who looked decidedly non-plussed. "I think we could handle that, don't you?"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes. "It is the shortest route to our destination."

Kagome turned to the elder again, even though he never looked her way. "We can handle it. If we come across them, I'm pretty sure we could get rid of them for you."

"We would be forever indebted to you, my lord." The elder bowed, and then left the room.

Kagome began eating again, pensive. "What a weird guy. It was like I didn't exist at all. He must not like women or something."

Sesshomaru looked at her. "He was completely blind, and almost entirely deaf. He most likely couldn't tell our voices apart."

Kagome stared at her food for a long moment, blushing. "Oh."

There was a short and uncomfortable silence between them. "We should leave soon," Sesshomaru advised.

"Right!" Kagome attacked her food with greater vigor.

Once she had finished, they headed straight for the mountain. Many people whispered as they passed, and some even made a sign against evil at them. No one had survived the trip up the mountain, and no one had gone of their own will in many years. These foreign travelers must be stupid or crazy.

Sesshomaru ignored them, and Kagome was used to it. At last they reached the foot of the mountain, and Kagome had to tilt her head almost all the way back to look up at it. "This is really steep… I'm not sure I'm wearing the right shoes for this…" Kagome stared down at her loafers, wishing she had some cleats.

"If you think you might fall you may walk ahead." Sesshomaru was not going to offer help openly, but he knew Kagome was smart enough to figure out that if she fell, he would catch her.

And hour later, Sesshomaru decided that this was probably a bad decision on his part. Kagome had only fallen once, but the mountain _was_ very steep. Which gave him an excellent view up Kagome's skirt. Time and time again, he found himself looking for a flash of white cotton and cursing himself. _This,_ he thought sullenly, _is a most undignified way to torture oneself._ But he couldn't bring himself to change the situation. As they ascended higher, though, the mountain began to level out. Soon they were on flat ground, and they stood a moment so Kagome could catch her breath.

"It's too bad it's so humid out," Kagome said between gasps. "we might be able to see what lies ahead of us for a long while from here.

Sesshomaru nodded. As they had gone up the mountain, the humidity had shot up, until little beads of condensation rolled down Kagome's neck. It was very strange, and Sesshomaru wondered if there was going to be a storm. Even now, it seemed to grow thicker and thicker. It was misty, even in the middle of the day. He turned to see if Kagome was ready, but she wasn't there. Alarmed, he tried to judge where she was by scent, but the mist was so thick it interfered.

"Kagome." No answer. "Kagome!" he said a little louder.

"Over here," came a faint voice, and he followed it. He found Kagome, refreshed.

"Thought I lost you there!" she said, and continued south. After walking for less than a minute, though, she stopped.

Sesshomaru was about to ask what her problem was when she turned around to face him, a strange look on her face.

"Sesshomaru…" she breathed, blinking slowly. She closed the distance between them, reaching up to wind her fingers in his hair, pulling him down to kiss her before he could react.

The problem was, he didn't know how to react. Part of him was curious where this would lead, part of him was annoyed with her change in behavior, and the defensive part of him argued that he should stop her _right now_.

"Kagome…" he said, a warning tone in his voice.

"Shhhh…" She placed a finger to his lips, and he noticed that it was cold. So were her lips. Strange, that she was so cool when it was so warm out. She reached up and kissed him again, before embracing him tightly. Unable to resist, he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.

Except she had no scent.

Suddenly Sesshomaru felt a prick at his neck, where Kagome's face was. He grabbed Kagome—who was not Kagome—by the back of her shirt, and threw her to the ground. She began to pout, but then saw the look of fury on his face. She was about to get up to run away, but she was dead before she got off the ground. As the body fell to the ground, the illusion of Kagome vanished, leaving behind a large bat. Sesshomaru felt his neck, his hand coming away with a drop of blood on it. He had almost fallen for it, he thought.

_Kagome!_

His mind raced. If this succubus was not Kagome, then Kagome was… with another one! He looked around, but the mist obscured his view. He tried to find a trace of her scent, but the moisture in the air made that impossible. He forced himself to calm down, turning to his last keen sense. He knew the mist would deaden it, and so he held very still, waiting for the smallest sound to reach his ears.

When it came it shot him through as sure as any sacred arrow. He felt rage, desire, and _jealousy_. He heard the sweet sound of Kagome moaning. He raced towards the sound, as silent as the mist. When he reached the clearing she stood in, though, what he saw made him freeze in his tracks.

"Oh, Sesshomaru…" Kagome said, pent-up longing released in her voice. She stood embraced by a perfect replica of himself, who was doing something he would very much like to do himself. One hand was on her back, beneath her shirt, the other cupped her chin as he delicately kissed her.

"I'm so sorry about before, I should have said something, I shouldn't have mentioned—" Kagome silenced as the imitation-Sesshomaru licked her bottom lip slowly. She blushed, but kissed him. From there, he began to work his way down her cheek.

Kagome had a torn expression on her face. "Sesshomaru… I don't… I don't care if you don't have feelings for me." She smiled bitterly. "I can make up for the both of us, right? I just… want to be with you… because…"

Sesshomaru was dying to hear what she had to say, but was suddenly keenly aware of where his imitation was headed: Kagome's neck. He shot forward, grabbing his imitation by the back of his neck. Kagome screamed, and became suddenly very confused. Sesshomaru quickly killed the succubus, dropping the now un-illusioned body to the ground.

Kagome stared at it, going very pale. She looked up to Sesshomaru, wide-eyed and frightened, and opened her mouth to say something. She didn't say it, though, because she suddenly found herself surrounded by his arms, held tightly to him. From somewhere in her fear- and desire-stricken mind, a thought came to her.

_Is Sesshomaru _hugging _me?_

Kagome frowned. That wasn't right…. But sure enough, she looked up to see him staring down at her, a very concerned look on his face.

"I thought… that I had lost you…" he said, barely a whisper.

Kagome was unsure what he meant, but she shook her head.

Sesshomaru lowered his head as if to kiss her, but froze. All around them was a sudden screeching. "They found the body," he said, and reached for his sword. He realized quickly though that there was no way to attack in all directions with Kagome there. He scooped her up, much to her surprise, and shot into the air. 20, 30 feet and finally he cleared the mist. Moments after he had reached the air, hundreds of giant bats came swooping towards them.

"Oh my god!" Kagome screamed, amazed at how many there were.

Sesshomaru touched down on the top of the next hill, which was clear on top. He set Kagome on the ground and then stood in front of her, drawing Tenseiga.

"MEIDOU ZANGETSUHA!!!!" He swept his sword in the direction of the bats, holding his position as he waited for the crescent-shaped path of darkness to appear.

Instead, there was suddenly an enormous circle where the bats had been. With a rush of air that stole the breath right out of Kagome's lungs, the bats and all of the mist were sucked into to abyss, which quickly slimmed to a tiny sliver and disappeared.

Kagome stood open mouthed. Was that…?

Sesshomaru stared at his sword. At last, he had perfected the attack. Why so suddenly, when it had taken years for him to reach the half-moon shape?

"Wow…" Kagome breathed.

And then it hit him. He sheathed his sword, frustrated, and began walking south. "We'll have to keep going." He said simply.

"Wait a minute! You just perfected your attack, didn't you? Shouldn't you be… I don't know _thrilled_ or something???" Kagome yelled after him.

Sesshomaru did not answer for a moment, but continued walking. "I have just lost an argument I had over two hundred years ago."

Kagome caught up with him quickly. "What? What are you talking about?"

Sesshomaru stopped and stared at the girl whose life he had just saved. "Before he died, my father told me I would never know true power unless I had a need for it—and that need must be something to protect. I told him that was weak and ridiculous. He left, and I never saw him again. I thought I had won, that his death had proved my point."

Kagome thought about that for a moment. As usual, Sesshomaru wasn't saying everything, expecting her to work it out. So, he was angry because his father had been right and the only reason he had perfected it was because he had been protecting her?

"Isn't that just how the sword works? Like, you can't wield tetsusaiga properly unless you're protecting someone? It wouldn't even transform for InuYasha until he said he would protect me."

Sesshomaru snorted delicately. "InuYasha would like to think that, but as you yourself have witnessed, _I _was perfectly capable of performing the Kaze no Kizu without any intentions of protection whatsoever."

Kagome remembered that, a little too clearly. With the aid of a human arm given to him by Naraku, Sesshomaru had nearly killed her, InuYasha and Miroku in one fell swoop. "But I thought…" she was very confused.

"The tenseiga and tetsusaiga are very powerful swords, and difficult to wield. Only by protecting you was InuYasha capable of the merest use of its powers."

"Oh." So it was not the sword, but the person holding it which gained power by protecting. That would explain how InuYasha had continued to increase his abilities, even after she no longer technically needed protecting. He just got better the hard way. Kagome looked up to see that Sesshomaru had continued walking, and was now far ahead of her. She still didn't understand why he wanted to leave all of this behind so quickly. She remembered the look on his face after he had rescued her, and wondered where that had gone. Had he forgotten? Or maybe he regretted it, and hoped she would forget? She sighed, giving Sesshomaru a good distance as she contemplated the emotional rollercoaster traveling with him had put her on.

_AN_

_If you couldn't tell from the presence of a certain now-deceased character,(I won't spoil it) it is now terribly obvious that this story is not current with the manga. Honestly, I don't care._


	9. Chapter 9

Long after the sun had set, Sesshomaru stopped in a tiny clearing. They had not spoken for the remainder of the day, and so his voice startled her. "We will rest here tonight."

Kagome snapped out of the trance that she had been in, looking around herself. She had gotten used to walking until she literally fell asleep on her feet, and waking up somewhere completely different. She wondered if the attack earlier in the day had drained Sesshomaru, and that was why they were resting. "Okay."

Kagome set up a campfire, but then realized she had no way to light it. Her matches were in her backpack, far to the south in Edo. Sesshomaru saw her looking around, and sighed. With a flick of his wrist he ignited the dry tender with his whip of light, instantly setting the fire to blaze. Kagome stared at it wide eyed, but decided not to say anything as Sesshomaru sat across from her. She took out the rations the village elder had given them before they left, and tried to guess how long they would go before they would reach another village. She divided the dried fish into six portions, hoping that she wouldn't need any more than that. She began to eat, and thought about the day's events as she did so.

Suddenly something struck her. "How did you know that thing was a bat, and that it was going to attack me?" she asked, her own words surprising her.

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment, the firelight making his golden eyes look liquid and eerie to Kagome. "I had… a similar experience."

"Oh," she blushed, realizing the implications. "How did you know that it wasn't me?" Kagome looked away, unable to withstand his intense gaze.

"She had no scent." He paused a moment. "And her lips were cold."

Kagome blushed even deeper, and dropped the subject. They became silent again, the crackling fire the only sound as Kagome quietly finished her meal and packed away the rest. All the while, Sesshomaru stared at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable. He was so difficult to read, and she couldn't even guess what he was thinking.

"In the mists," he began, revealing that he had not yet left the subject, "You had said…that despite what I felt you still wished to remain with me. You were about to explain why when I attacked."

Kagome's eyes went wide. "How long were you standing there, just watching?!" she demanded.

He didn't look away. "Long enough."

Kagome blushed deeply. Now _that _was embarrassing. Nothing like having your perfect fantasy spied on by the subject of said fantasy. She wondered if she could ever live that down.

"You have not answered my question," Sesshomaru reminded her.

Kagome looked at him. He seemed genuinely interested, but for what reason was a mystery to her. Perhaps she was just another silly human he didn't get. Inwardly, something inside her felt very tight, as if her heart was slowly being crushed by reality. He had saved her life, she reminded herself, and she supposed he deserved an answer.

"Because… because being in your company is very… satisfying to me. You never irritate me, I guess. You're never immature, or thick, and you're very patient with me. I get frustrated a little sometimes, but it's only because I can't figure you out. I guess I thought that if I stayed with you I'd understand you eventually. I would like to." Kagome was beyond blushing, and was flat-out embarrassed. She probably sounded like a sentimental sap to him. She hoped that now that he had his answer he would drop it.

"Yokai do not love," Sesshomaru said suddenly, and Kagome looked up sharply to see his expression was almost apologetic as he stared into the fire. "We are not capable of it, I think. Not in the way humans do, at least. Our hearts do not "melt" when we see the object of our attentions. We do not become sentimental. However… once in a very long while we may come across a companion whose company we enjoy, and whose life we value as if it were our own. I suppose that we _greatly appreciate _them more than love."

_Well, that explains a lot about InuYasha,_ Kagome thought sarcastically. She began to argue that that counted as love, but Sesshomaru continued.

"We are not incapable of compassion, empathy, and even at times affection. Especially," he looked up to Kagome, "in the right situation."

Kagome swallowed, the idea that he may be speaking about her vaguely dawning in her mind. Her hopes had been dashed twice, though, and she dare not hope again. "Situation? Such as…?" she asked.

"When this person is a blood relative, or a seasoned ally. Or…" he looked away from her momentarily, "when other kinds of liaisons may be formed."

_Liaisons_, the part of Kagome that was still hopeful thought, _is a euphemism for…._ She brought herself back to reality. It was a euphemism for something she would never have with him, she thought bleakly. The very thought of it probably made him cringe.

Sesshomaru watched the battle taking place within Kagome manifest itself on her expressions. She was quite distracted by it, as she hardly noticed when he rose and walked towards her, until he crouched down beside her, gently taking her chin in hand. She looked at him with such a pained expression, as if she wanted something very badly but could not ever hope to have it.

"I think," Sesshomaru said slowly, studying her features, "that I must become accustomed to the idea that my father was right on several things which I disagreed with him on."

Kagome was trying to figure out what that had to do with what he had been saying just before when he kissed her. It was not rough, as it had been the first time, and it was not devious, as his imitation had seemed, but soft, honest, and giving.

It was perfect.

The pain around her heart tightened as Sesshomaru slid his hand across her cheek to cup the base of her skull. Slow, heavy tears slid from her closed eyes, and when they touched his hand he pulled away suddenly, a frown on his face.

"Have I hurt you in some way?" he asked.

She shook her head, wiping the tears away forcefully, ashamed that she had cried. "No. No, it's my own doing."

He furrowed his brow a little.

"This isn't happening," Kagome said quietly. "I've fallen asleep without knowing it, and I'll wake up to find you cold and remote and completely unreachable. Again. And I'll have to face that reality again and again, every morning. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly. "You have been dreaming of this?"

Kagome nodded, the tears spilling onto her cheeks once again. She was making such a fool of herself, but then this wasn't real, so what did it matter? "Every night. Pathetic, isn't it?"

"You would not call me pathetic, would you?"

"Of course not!" Kagome said automatically. "Wait, you mean… but you don't sleep!"

Sesshomaru sat on the ground next to her. "My mind does not require a state of unconsciousness to provide me with the idea. Carrying you sleeping in my arms is more than enough."

Kagome stared at him a moment. She had wondered what it was like, when she was asleep. She had always imagined him slightly annoyed. She had never thought….

"I'm not sleeping, am I?" Kagome said absently.

"If you are then I am as well," Sesshomaru said simply.

"It's never like this… when I dream."

"What do you mean?"

Kagome blushed a little. "Well, usually by this point you have tried to convince me that you love me dearly and say all kinds of things that you would never say and… well…" Kagome blushed deeper. "other things have happened.

A single eyebrow slowly rose up Sesshomaru's forehead. "Such as…?"

Kagome flustered, wide-eyed. "I'm not telling you!"

Sesshomaru smiled a little, and for once it did not send fear through her heart. "Then I shall just have to guess…" he leaned forward and kissed her again, a little more insistent this time. When she did not respond, he pulled back to see the same pained expression on her face. He leaned his forehead against hers, the only sign of affection he remembered his father showing his mother.

"Kagome," he said quietly, "Give in. Stop fighting it, this is reality. Don't try to outdo me in strength of will; I assure you it would be a fruitless endeavor."

Kagome laughed a little, finally smiling. "Only you could make arrogance sound comforting."

Sesshomaru frowned disdainfully. "I am not arrogant," he said, mock offended, "I am correct."

Kagome's smile widened, and she rolled her eyes. Sesshomaru kissed her once more, and this time she let go. It was as if a dam had been broken within her, and she wrapped her arms about him tightly as she lost herself to the kiss. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but it was from relief. As she shifted to be more comfortable, though, a problem arose. One of the spikes on the front of Sesshomaru's armor caught on her sleeve. She tore herself away from the kiss, carefully detangling the fabric without ripping it. Once she did that, though, Sesshomaru stood up.

Kagome was about to ask him what was wrong when he began to untie his obi. Kagome blushed profusely, and Sesshomaru could not help but smirk at her reaction. He stopped a moment and knelt down next to her, taking her hand and kissing it.

"This time it was your clothes. Next time it could be your skin," he said.

"Oh." Kagome could not help but watch as Sesshomaru carefully removed his armor, setting it to the side. She felt so strange, like this was more a dream-like than her dreams were. When he was done, Sesshomaru picked up his sword and held out a hand to her.

"Come here," he said, a promise of something in his voice.

Transfixed, Kagome stood, sliding her hand into his, watching as his long fingers wrapped around her wrist. He pulled her gently to the foot of a tree where he sat with his back against the trunk and set his sword on the ground. He tugged her wrist, and she made to sit down next to him. He took hold of her, though, and she suddenly found herself straddling his lap. She blushed again, looking away as if that would hide it.

Sesshomaru smirked again, but then closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "When you blush," he brushed a few fingertips across her reddened cheek, "Your scent becomes stronger, headier."

Kagome bit her lip. "What do I smell like?"

Sesshomaru breathed in again. "Flowers, and warmth. Other things which I am not familiar with." He leaned forward and barely brushed his lips against her neck, making her shiver. "And steel." He whispered the last, as if it were magic.

Kagome opened her eyes, surprised. "Steel? Oh, that must be from my world. Most machines are made out of steel or iron. InuYasha's always complaining about how bad it smells. I thought it would have worn off by now. I'm sorry that—"

Sesshomaru put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "In all the time I have lived I have never met a woman, human or yokai, who smelled like a sword. It is…enticing."

"Oh." _A sword_, Kagome thought, _that is interesting, I suppose._ She stopped thinking about it, though, as Sesshomaru began to kiss the length of her neck, starting just below her ear and working his way down to her collarbone. She sighed deeply, weaving her fingers into his glossy hair. _Like silk_, she thought. _Like his fur_.

Sesshomaru slowly raised his hand from her hip, sliding it under the thin cotton of her shirt to splay his fingers across her stomach. She moaned softly, and something twinged inside of him. He would like very much to take his satisfaction from her as quickly as possible, but this was not the place for that. _Besides, _he thought, _she is inexperienced. I shall take my sweet time in… _educating _her._

Kagome's mind was a blur. It was amazing how quickly Sesshomaru could have this effect on her, but she rather enjoyed it. She wondered, though, shouldn't she be doing something?

"Uh, Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru replied, still busy kissing her neck, now working on the other side.

"Is there something… something you would like me… to do?" her voice seemed painfully shy, and she regretted how inexpert the question made her sound.

Sesshomaru removed himself from his task, and looked her over, thinking. "This," he tugged at the hem of her shirt, "take it off."

Kagome's eyes shot open. "w-what?" she asked, blushing once more.

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows, amused at her reaction. "You wear something underneath it, ne? It is in my way. Take it off."

Kagome blinked a few times, accustoming herself to the double-time pace her heart had chosen to accelerate to. With shaking hands, she reached for the hem of her shirt, swallowing.

Sesshomaru paused. Had he asked too much of her too soon? He carefully took her hands away, kissing one and then the other at the base of her wrist. He then took hold of her shirt himself, and raised it over her head. She complied, and he set the discarded article next to his sword. Before she could be awkward, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. He felt her slowly beginning to relax, and decided to push the limits once again.

Kagome was mentally justifying the removal of her shirt in her mind, although she wasn't sure why. She was more comfortable this way, she argued, and it was more like Sesshomaru removing his armor than _undressing_. And besides, she still had—what was that?! Kagome's eyes shot open as Sesshomaru licked her lips once again. While she thoroughly enjoyed the sensation, she got the impression that there was something more…. He repeated the action, this time forcing her lips apart. She opened her mouth, more out of surprise than instruction, and gasped as he made his way in, tasting her mouth.

Oh, _wow_, thought Kagome as she tilted her head to lean into the kiss. _I could get used to this._ She hesitantly ventured forward, and was rewarded by Sesshomaru's quiet moan. It stirred something inside of her, and she felt her legs clench involuntarily. Sesshomaru responded immediately, his hand suddenly on the small of her back, pressing her to him. The intensity of the kiss increased until Kagome thought she would pass out. She tore herself away from the kiss to catch her breath, not moving far enough away to escape Sesshomaru's arms.

"Sesshomaru…" she breathed, nuzzling her face into his neck. He began to slowly move his hand up underneath the back of her shirt, the other one twining in her hair. Kagome, however, had an idea. Shyly at first, she began to kiss his neck, and felt the hand in her hair clench in response. Gaining in confidence, she made her way down his neck, and when she reached the collar of his haori she did something very brave. Her hands were resting on his chest, and she slid one of them under the fold, her fingertips finding the smooth plane of his hardened muscles. He moaned in response, and she used her other hand to carefully part the haori, exposing his chest. She immediately took advantage of this, continuing the path of her kisses. At the same time, she began to move her hips against his, remembering the effect it had had before.

Sesshomaru could take it no longer. The soft and shy texture of her kisses on his skin, the hesitant but effective movements, all of it. Kagome continued to slide his haori off his shoulders, kissing them as well. At last, he could not hold still for another moment.

Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru pulled her mouth to his, kissing her hungrily. It lasted only a moment, though, before he gently pulled her head back by her hair, making her expose her neck. He kissed the hallow at the base of her throat, and then began to lick the length of her neck slowly. Kagome whimpered, shivered, and arched into him almost as if flinching at the same time.

Sesshomaru's mind was a blur. He was slipping fast, and the urge to just take her was nearly irresistible. It wasn't until he found himself nibbling at the crook of her shoulder that he realized he had to stop _now._ He pulled back, taking a deep breath as if he had just surfaced from a long dive.

"Not here," he breathed.

Kagome tried to kiss him, not really listening. He stopped her, holding her shoulders at arm's length. "No, Kagome. It's not dignified."

She stopped, too, and looked hurt.

"I mean here."

Her face relaxed a little, but then she looked frustrated again, biting her lip to try to hold everything back. He held her to him, daring the close contact.

"Soon, I promise. Now sleep," he said in a half-compassionate half-commanding voice.

She nodded, but it was a long time before sleep claimed either of them.

_AN_

_MUAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAA! You thought it was going to be lemon!!! And what's worse, this is all I have so far!!!!!!!! I'll write more eventually, I suppose, especially if I get a lot of comments._

_So the whole "I think I'm asleep when really I'm not" is kind of a big thing in my stories. Why? Because it happens to me a lot. Unfortunately, for me it's usually "Oh god I hope this is a nightmare…"_

_Doesn't this sound like a scary nightmare? I sit down to take a midterm, and as it's passed out I realize I don't know anything at all on the front page. Suddenly, a girl near me gasps in glee. "This is the same thing as the study guide!!" she says happily. The teacher agrees and other students cheer. Study guide? What study guide? I didn't get any study guide? And as I'm staring at these questions I don't know the answers to I realize that I am going to be the only student to fail this midterm. And this class is in my major. And it's a gateway class for the major._

_Scary, ne? Too bad it actually happened…. Thanks to some tears and a really nice teacher I got to take it the next day. sigh_


	10. Chapter 10

When Kagome woke the next morning, she found herself wrapped up in Sesshomaru's pelt—but no Sesshomaru. She looked around, startled, but he came into the clearing within seconds of her panic. She calmed and stood, the cold air assaulting her bare skin as soon as she abandoned the warm fur. She snatched up her shirt and put it on quickly, brushing off the dirt. She tried not to make eye contact with Sesshomaru.

_Good grief,_ she wondered, _how on earth are we going to get along now?_ Sesshomaru had made it clear he had no intention of going any further with her out of doors. Kagome found this a little sad, as making love under the stars seemed awfully romantic. Granted, probably not the best idea for a first time, but….

_Oh God…_ she swallowed. Here she was, practically a miko save for formal training, and she was planning to loose her virginity to a _Yokai _who only a few weeks ago was nothing more to her than a fair-weather ally.

And she had thought her life was going to be _normal_ once Naraku died. She momentarily wondered if she were doing the right thing, and dared to look at Sesshomaru.

He was putting his pelt back on, his movements exact, comfortable. He knew what he was doing, whatever he did. She saw in him confidence, patience, and a degree of self-control she was very much jealous of. He was well aware of what she was, and she couldn't imagine he had become enamored of her on a whim. It must have been a long, difficult fight he slowly lost with himself, and with his father.

She remembered his definition of attachment from the night before. She certainly "greatly appreciated" him. But did she _love _him? She was human, it was important to her. If she did, it was certainly nothing like she had imagined. When she had fancied herself in love with InuYasha, she had loved to dream about him, imagine him saying things he would likely never say (at least not willingly) and all the romantic times they would share. With Sesshomaru, she found herself hoping he didn't do such foolish things, because she felt the way he acted was more honest, and true. She found herself savoring the things he said, not only because they were few and far between but because she valued his words. He was concise, and so what he said must have more meaning imparted to it. She even enjoyed being near him when he was silent. She felt he was truly interested in the things she told him. She felt safe, and appreciated, and for once on even terms.

For even though Sesshomaru was certainly the more powerful of the two of them, he always treated her as if she could hold her own. She was a rational adult in his mind, deserving of equal respect and trust as anyone else. Should she need protecting, he would certainly rise to the occasion, but it was less that she therefore become indebted to him than it was sheer practicality. Kagome found it odd that in an age where most men were very sexist, (a category which, sadly, InuYasha easily fell into) Sesshomaru wasn't concerned with the idea. He knew he was more powerful, he didn't need to re-affirm or even mention it. If she wanted to be independent, it was hardly a threat. Of course, he very obviously recognized she was female. But only in those situations where it was really important.

When Kagome really thought about what she wanted, it was simple. Sesshomaru interested her greatly. She liked to be interesting for him. She loved the way he thought, his fresh but logical perspective most likely granted to him by his centuries of experience. If she had to pick anyone she'd like to talk with, from either era, it would have to be him. Life without Sesshomaru would be boring.

What if when she returned to her own time she was unable to see him any more? The thought came unbidden, and her chest seemed to clench up. She mentally panicked a moment. What if when she left the well wouldn't let her back? Would he still be alive in her era? This kind of idea had often popped up concerning InuYasha, but now a new option teased at her brain: _Well, maybe I should just stay. I can't seem to relate to anyone in my own time anyway._

Kagome nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Would she really be willing to never go home if it meant staying with Sesshomaru? The answer surprised her. Well. That settled it then. She must love him, if she was willing to give up all that. She smiled a little. She had never expected it to feel like this.

As she came out of her reverie, they had already covered a good distance. As they came into a clearing, though, she realized that they were walking towards the sun, which hung about halfway up the sky.

"Uh…. Sesshomaru?" she asked.

He made no motion but she knew he was listening. "Um, are we going East?"

Still he did not look back. "Yes."

"Uh… why?" Kagome was honestly confused.

"There is a village nearby," he said simply.

"Oh. I have plenty of food…" she offered.

He stopped, turning to face her. "We are on the western side of the mountains. We need to be on the eastern side."

Kagome blinked. "Oh."

"We are coming near a pass, and it is the last easy one before our destination."

Kagome nodded. "Ok." That made sense. "How close are we to Edo, anyway?"

"We have just recently past the half-way point in our journey."

Kagome's eyes widened. Only half way? "You mean we have to keep walking another three weeks?" she demanded.

"Perhaps only two. I had not realized you were so anxious to end this journey." He turned away and continued walking.

Kagome paused. His last sentence had been pronounced in an icy-cold tone. There had been a time that she had thought it was the only tone he employed, but now she noticed the difference. She thought about it a moment, working out Sesshomaru's latest puzzle with a sort of guilty pleasure. She enjoyed the usual challenge, really. Clearly, he did not want the journey to end soon. Surely he was worried about Rin and Jaken, as she was sure the others were worried about her. She realized, though, that as long as they were heading towards their destination it was just the two of them. There were no interferences aside from those they happened upon. They didn't need to concern themselves with anything but getting home… and each other.

_Ah_, Kagome realized. He seemed to equate her wish to get back to Edo quickly with a wish to be rid of him just as soon. And here she had thought his ego was untouchable. Smiling a little, she jogged to catch up with him.

"You know," she said in a conversational tone, "I've been thinking. You really don't need to carry me when I'm sleeping."

He regarded her out of the corner of his eye, for once not catching on immediately. For a split second he thought she was going to reject him completely. "I assure you it is no inconvenience. I don't mind it."

She nodded. "Yes, but it isn't dignified. For you, I mean. I was wondering, if we stopped to rest every night instead of you carrying me, would it really lengthen the trip that much?" she grinned slyly, looking up at him.

He caught on quickly. "Perhaps. Another week, perhaps two."

Kagome pretended to think about it. "I think that's acceptable."

Sesshomaru's forehead lifted, and she knew he was smiling, on the inside.

"In that case…" he continued. "I think it would be wise if you rested a while before we went into the mountains. It will be difficult terrain, and if you think I shouldn't carry you, then you should be well prepared for a hard time."

She smiled. "I think that's an excellent idea."

_A/N:_

_OMG SQUEEEEEE!!!!!! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments!!! I even got an email!!!! So obviously you guys like this story, huh? Well, I've been writing some more and I reached a bit of a sticking point, but since my hubby's been home recently I'll have more inspiration to work off of!!! . _

_Anyway, I've got a few short chapters to post and then I'll start writing again. I really appreciate all your support. _

_Like I've said before, though, this isn't a story I really try really hard on, because it's just for fun. If you like my writing I really suggest you read **Kazemaru & Miharu**, since that's the one I really spend most of my efforts on. It's my baby. The first two chapters are a little slow, but I wrote them over a year ago, so my writing style has improved greatly. You can see it as the chapters go by. Once I get the whole story out I'll go back and carefully revise until it shines like the top of the Chrysler building, but for now the plot is plenty interesting. Comments on it would make my heart glow._


	11. Chapter 11

They reached the village in the late afternoon. It was a fairly large town, obviously benefited by travelers passing through the mountains. Kagome quickly realized that while there were a few inns, they had no money. She looked at the village on the side of the mountain, and spied a nice manor a ways away from the rest.

"Sesshomaru…" she began, an idea forming in her mind. "Could you curse that manor?"

"What?" For once, he actually sounded surprised.

"I mean just a little bit. Throw some jyaki on it or something."

"Why?" he peered at her, brow furrowed.

She grinned. "Because I don't like lying."

Sesshomaru dropped to the ground next to Kagome, startling her a little. She stood behind a bush, out of the sight of the manor. "Did you do it?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru stated the obvious.

"And nobody saw you?"

He glanced towards the sky, though the gesture was too apathetic to constitute rolling his eyes. "Of course."

"Alright then. Let's go." Kagome tried to pull her skirt down a little to make it look longer, realizing how little like a miko she looked. She looked up at Sesshomaru's slightly amused expression. "It's a hopeless cause, isn't it?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Quite."

She grinned a little, and then sighed. "Whatever. I'll just have to act confident, then." She strode out from behind the bush and walked directly towards the manor, Sesshomaru following a step behind. Once she reached the front gate (which was mostly decorative) the guards hailed her.

"May I speak to the lord of this manor?" she asked in an authoritative voice. "There is an ominous cloud about this place."

The guards looked surprised and alarmed, and one of them ran immediately to fetch the donna. He returned quickly, almost out of breath.

"Yes, young lady?" he asked, eyeing her strange outfit.

"There is a strange and evil aura about this manor. Please allow me to cleanse it from your presence."

He tilted his head. "You're a miko?" he asked.

Kagome pretended to be offended for a moment, and then softened her smile to be a little patronizing. "Yes. I don't blame your unbelief with a demon as my companion, but I assure you that I am. Please, let me release you from the evil spell."

He nodded a little. "Alright…" He still sounded suspicious.

Kagome was allowed in the gates and wandered about the grounds, following the faint presence of Sesshomaru's displaced jyaki. It was difficult for her with him standing right next to her, but he managed to discreetly guide her towards the old willow tree.

Kagome pointed dramatically. "It is originating from this tree." She proclaimed.

"We'll chop it down immediately," the lord suggested, and turned to make an order.

"No!" Kagome insisted. "The tree is good, but it has been possessed by a vengeful spirit."

There was uneasy murmuring from the guards who stood at a good distance. Sesshomaru heard a whispered name.

"Takazumi," he said aloud, and there was a collective gasp.

Kagome turned towards Sesshomaru, playing along. "Is that his name?" she asked.

Sesshomaru paused, pretending to listen. "Yes."

She turned on the guards. "Who was Takazumi?" she demanded.

They shifted uncomfortably. "A few years ago, two of the men got in an argument when they were drunk. Hishiro pushed Takazumi, and he fell off the walkway and hit his head on a rock and died. Right under that tree. It was an accident, but Hishiro felt so guilty he left."

Kagome nodded solemnly. "I will release his spirit from the tree. May I borrow your bow and arrow?" she asked of one of the guards.

He handed it over uneasily, and Kagome faced the tree. She moved her body into the familiar position, and focused her energy on the tip of the arrow.

_ZiiiiiipTHUNK_ the arrow hit the tree squarely, a path of pink light tracing it's passage. There was a moment's pause, and then a crackling sound as Sesshomaru's jyaki was purified. Suddenly a bright light shot up out of the tree and into the evening sky.

Kagome stared after it. What on earth…? She hadn't been expecting that….

There were gasps of astonishment, and then cheers. Before she knew it, Kagome and Sesshomaru were ushered to a fine good meal.

As Kagome stared at the bounty laid out before her, she was still pondering the white light. Sesshomaru had declined any food, which caused little trouble. While they easily accepted Kagome, they were understandably still uneasy around him. They had their ears chattered off as they ate, but at last it grew late Kagome managed to finish her meal.

"Will you be passing through the mountains, miko-sama?" the lord asked kindly.

She smiled. "Yes. I was hoping to rest here first, but as I have no money…" she trailed off.

The lord waved his hand at her as if this were a silly thing to say. "I would be more than grateful to give you a place to stay. A couple of days soaking in the hot springs and your energy will be fully replenished!"

Kagome gasped. "Hot springs???" she dropped her calm demeanor with excitement.

The lord merely smiled. "Why of course! We are privileged to have a few private ones on our own grounds, actually."

Kagome grinned. "That's wonderful!" She turned to Sesshomaru, but forgot what she was going to say. He looked so… _smug_ it was surprising.

She blinked. He _knew_. Screw the mountain pass and the village, Sesshomaru had smelled the sulfur of the hot springs. But why…? Kagome finally put the pieces together, amazed at her own thickness. They had changed course simply to find lodgings for one reason alone. And the hot springs were so she could….

It was all Kagome could do to keep from turning bright red, and Sesshomaru just went on looking smug.

"Th-thank you," Kagome stammered to the lord. "I'm… I'm feeling a little tired."

The lord nodded. "That was quite the exorcism this afternoon. I'll see to it that beds are laid out for you in the quarters.

Kagome frowned. Quarters? As in Men's and Women's?

Sesshomaru spoke up, catching on to it quicker. "That will not be necessary. I stand guard over miko-sama as she sleeps."

The lord frowned a little. A male yokai in the women's quarters was not exactly a good idea. A thought came to him, though, and he smiled. "If you don't mind, there's an old guest's quarters near the hot springs. It's a little dusty and hasn't been used in a while, but it's still in good condition. We usually only have guests in the winter."

Kagome smiled. Perfect. "That will be just fine."

The lord turned and instructed a few servants to go air the place out as quickly as possible. He walked them there personally, taking his time and describing the layout of the manor grounds, where the hot springs were and which ones the servants used, etc.

"The spring nearest the guest house is reserved for guests, of course, and you are free to use it whenever you like. I assure you you will be undisturbed, lady miko."

She smiled. "Thank you. That is a relief."

They had reached the guest house, and the servants finished up quick things before scurrying off back to the main house.

"Thank you once again, miko-sama, and please feel free to stay as long as you need. Tell us if you require anything further."

Kagome blushed a little, feeling guilty about the ruse for the first time. "I'm sure I'll be fine," she said, and the lord bowed before walking away.

Sesshomaru had already gone into the small building, which was no bigger than a large bedroom. Once Kagome walked inside she realized that was about all it was. In the center was a hearth, for winter use. There was a goodly sized futon, a privacy screen, and an oil lamp. A small empty table stood forgotten in one corner. The servants had managed to get rid of the dust and cobwebs, and it really was quite nice.

Sesshomaru looked around approvingly, removing his armor for the night. "Where did you learn that trick?" he asked.

Kagome put a finger to her lips, and he couldn't help but think she looked cute. She darted out of the building quickly, and came back with a small leafy twig she had broken off the tree next to the building. She closed the door, and then found a place in the floor where a crack widened enough to shove the small twig in. She knelt before it a moment, closing her eyes and murmuring words she had memorized. There was a little flash, and she smiled, standing up.

Sesshomaru frowned. "A barrier?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It only stops sound. Kaede taught it to me when we were having a hard time with Naraku discovering our plans. We never did figure out how he was spying on us, but it stopped once I learned it.

He studied the little twig. "And you don't have to maintain it?"

"Nope. It will stay there until someone pulls out the twig." She smiled a little. "It will grant us a little privacy, anyway."

He nodded. He stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something.

"Oh, right. I learned it from Miroku. Every time we were in a village near evening time he would go up to the nicest looking manor and tell them there was an "ominous cloud" above the place. He was lying of course, but he put up a few fuda and we got free meals and a night's lodging."

"I see."

Kagome paused a moment. "Hey, how did you get the tree to do that thing? With the light?" she made a fluttering motion with her hand.

He raised his eyebrows. "I didn't. The tree was already possessed. I just made it angry."

Kagome stared at him a moment. Then she really had…. "Huh. Well, I feel a little less guilty about staying here then."

"Hn." Sesshomaru seemed to find the idea of feeling guilty about it at all a bit silly.

Kagome looked around for a place to sit. She glanced at the bed, and then at Sesshomaru. His intentions came once more to the forefront of her mind, and she felt her pulse quicken, her heart thudding against her ribcage in an almost pleasant fashion.

Sesshomaru had been leaning against the wall, but he now pushed himself upright, walking towards her with measured, unhurried steps. His hand gently grazed her cheek, but moved on to her neck, where he rested his fingers on her pulse point. He smiled, and it was inherently smug. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"It is good," he breathed, "to know my ears do not lie."

Kagome gasped. He could hear her heartbeat from across the room?! He chuckled at the sound of her surprise, his hand returning to her chin before he kissed her, taking his own sweet time. He pulled back a little, pausing for words.

"In your world, is there… an expected process before intimacy?"

Kagome blinked rapidly, surprised by the question. She was honored that he didn't wish to offend her, but she found herself staring at his lips which made it really hard to think. "Uh… um…" she stammered. "I uh… not really, I guess."

He smiled again, decidedly darker, which made her shiver a little. "Good."

Kagome found herself no longer standing on the ground but rather laying on the futon. How the hell did he move that fast? She hadn't felt any impact. Sesshomaru hovered above her a moment before burying his face in her neck, one hand making it's way slowly down her hip.

She tensed up, utterly surprised. Her hands pushed at him and he gave way without a moment's struggle, wary of scaring her.

"I…I mean… well…" she blushed profusely, "There is … _foreplay_," she whispered the last.

He nearly laughed full out, but knew it might hurt her feelings. Instead he smirked profusely, and studied Kagome's reaction. She couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to be frightened or relieved. He brushed his lips against hers barely, and she relaxed.

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you," he whispered.

She exhaled deeply, a slight flush coming to her cheeks. He breathed in her scent, mysterious and intoxicating. He wanted to know what it was that made her smell so clean, like water itself. He wanted to know everything about her.

He took the cue to slow down, though, and lay beside her, propping himself up on his elbow and patiently keeping his hand at her waist for the moment. Although she was his first human, she was by no means his first woman. He was not some green boy worrying whether he would last. No, he was going to enjoy every second of this. He softened her with kisses, and she came to the task as an eager pupil, hesitantly repeating what he did until she was comfortable enough to improvise. She wound her fingers in his hair, which he decided he rather liked.

Ever so slowly he inched the hand that had originally lain at her waist upwards under her shirt. Fast enough that she was aware of what he was doing, but slow enough that she was comfortable with it. But there, where he should feel the tender skin of the swell of her breast, he was met with some cloth undergarment. He slid his hand to the side, and under her back, searching silently, distractedly for the tie. He found none.

Kagome noticed his sudden lack of enthusiasm in kissing her, and realized why he was so distracted. She bit her lip so as not to laugh. She summoned up her courage and moved to remove her shirt.

It was not up two inches, though, before Sesshomaru stopped her. He left her lips slowly, almost reluctantly, and crouched down to kiss the little bit of skin she had exposed. He paused a moment, staring at it, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"What?" Kagome asked, suddenly very self-concious.

He looked up to her. "I've wanted to do that for some time."

She grinned. "You had mentioned my uniform was distracting…"

He looked back at her skin hungrily. "Very. Although…" he glanced back up into her eyes. "As much as it reveals I find myself wanting to see more…" He held her gaze steadily as he began to lift the hem up her stomach. Her breathing was shaky, but she made no move to stop him, and after a moment sat up a little to make the process easier. He slid his hands below both her shirt and undershirt and began a slow process upwards, kissing the revealed skin. He skipped over the cloth garment and only barely grazed his lips against the upper swell of one breast, making her shiver. She pulled the garment the rest of the way over her head, her hair falling down out of it. Her hands caught on the cuffs a moment, and he took advantage of the opportunity, holding it behind her head while he kissed her with a little more enthusiasm than earlier.

Kagome's eyes went wide at his extremely dominant maneuver. It lasted only a moment, though, and he allowed her to bring her hands around front to work them out of the sleeves. As she did so he eyed her hungrily, drinking in the sight of all of her that he could see now. She set the shirt aside once she had freed her hands, and hugged herself nervously. She bit her lip and studied Sesshomaru's expression, seeking for approval.

He swallowed. Completely unbeknownst to her, her little nervous action raised her breasts and pressed them together, enhancing her cleavage. His lifted a hand to trace the line of her collarbone, before slowly venturing lower to trace the more intriguing line.

She made a quiet little sound, and he watched with fascination as her nipples grew taut beneath the thin fabric. He passed a thumb over one momentarily before reaching behind her to try once more to find the tie. Strangely, though, the fabric seemed to continue from one end to the other. There were a few metalic-looking pieces on the straps, but he couldn't figure them out.

Kagome tried very, very hard not to smile. She stilled his hands, and reached back behind herself to undo the clasp. Most guys from her era had a hard time figuring it out, and she would spare his dignity for now.

Sesshomaru wondered for a split second how Kagome had managed to do that, but the thought left him quickly as she brought her hands forward. She left it loose and hanging, barely covering her. He reached for her as if in a dream, surprised by how enticed he was. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he moved them slowly, torturing both of them, down towards her arms. It fell away, revealing her to him fully. He let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

Kagome stared into his eyes, desperately searching for approval. He was so hard to read, and though he looked intent and vaguely hungered, beyond that she could not tell. She looked away at last, unable to ask.

"_Beautiful,_" He breathed, and at first she thought she had heard wrong. He tore his eyes away from her body to look into her eyes. "Exquisite."

For some odd reason she blushed, unused to such compliments from him. He kissed her deeply, and eased her back down onto the bed. His hands slid downwards, taking hold of her in greedy handfuls. She moaned deeply. It felt so _good_, his hands hard against her skin, and she felt the now-familiar trigger bringing her to life. Her hands went to his haori, wanting to make him as undressed as she was. He complied hurriedly, his patience beginning to run out. He freed the garment from his hakama, not even waiting to slide his arms out before he took Kagome into his arms tightly.

"Oh _god…_" she moaned, her body arching against his reflexively. The feel of his skin against hers was like silk, only hot and fluid, and intoxicating. He made a low growling sound in his throat and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. After a moment he slowly removed one arm and then the other from his haori, tossing it aside. He kissed her neck, and then her collarbone, and moved downward onto her breast, which was rising and falling rapidly with her shallow breaths. At last he came to the pink little nipple, stretched taught in anticipation.

At first he brushed his lower lip against it, which elicited a whimper from Kagome. Smirking, he paused a moment before repeating the motion. Same sound. He made as if to do it a third time, but instead flicked his tongue across the sensitive skin.

"Oh!" she cried out in surprise, and arched against him hard. Thoroughly encouraged, he continued to lick and nibble and suck, as Kagome went on with her chorus of surprised and pleased sounds.

"Nnn—Oh, Sesshomaru…" she murmured, spurring him on.

He loved the way his name sounded coming from her lips. His hand left her breast and slid over her skirt only to move slowly back up under it. She flinched, but moaned. He abandoned her breast to kiss her neck, and then her chin, and then her lips. He made as if to whisper in her ear, but instead tugged on the earlobe gently.

Kagome, however, was more focused on his hand, which now slid to her inner thigh, and she bit her lip. The tension was almost enough to kill her.

Sesshomaru stopped, and moved so he could look at her expression.

"No man has ever touched you like this?" It was less a question and more a distracted musing.

"N..no…" Kagome admitted.

He lightly brushed his thumb against the small panel of her cotton panties between her legs and she flinched again, throwing her head back.

His expression hardened for a moment. "As long as I live no other man ever will."

Kagome startled. Wasn't it a little early to be mutually exclusive? But then, she reasoned, who else was she ever going to be able to connect with this way? She could never be close to anyone who didn't believe and understand what she'd been through, and the chances of a modern guy doing either were slim to none.

But there was something more to Sesshomaru's sudden and alluring possessiveness. It said that for him, this was no fling. He was _serious._

Sesshomaru watched Kagome's face as she worked her way through his words to their meaning. She had an unusual talent for it, and as her brow unfurled her eyes softened, and she unclenched her hands from the bed sheets, reaching up for him with a tender poignancy. It was not the reaction he had expected, and so he took her in his arms, unsure.

She pressed her face into his neck, holding on to him tightly. "Sesshomaru…" she said, barely a whisper. She knew he could hear her.

"I love you."

Sesshomaru said nothing. He didn't need to, and they both knew it. It was alright with Kagome. But in some small, distant corner of his being he wished that he _could_.

_A/N:_

_WHEEEEEEE!!!! LEMON!!!!!!! Tee hee. Aw hell, I won't write anything important because half of you won't read this in your hurry to read the next chapter. I wouldn't. n.n_


	12. Chapter 12

Sesshomaru managed to work his way out of her arms gently, and as he moved lower, she tensed up expectantly, thinking he meant to return to his teasing. But instead he caught his thumb in her skirt band, tugging on it. She tugged the zipper quickly, wanting to give him as much of the fun as she could. He pulled it off her legs, tossing it aside. He leaned back down to kiss her stomach, and she gasped a little as he moved to remove her panties, and for once he did not hesitate. This time, he took his leisure coming back to her, sliding his hands under her calves and bending her legs before settling himself between them.

He glanced up at her rather startled expression, and Kagome shivered at his. He looked deadly intense, and yet he was smiling as if he knew something she didn't. She bit her lip waiting.

From where Sesshomaru was, her scent was cloying, heady. It made his mind blur at the edges like good hot sake. He wanted to know the way she tasted badly enough that his mouth watered. He barely breathed and she shivered at the sensation, and he could not suppress his grin.

The first of his attentions sent her head back into the futon with some force, and he took hold of her hips to keep her still. Her cry of sheer pleasure made him instantly, intensely grateful for Kagome's little twig barrier. He continued to tease her by quickly flicking his tongue against her center, until she grew accustomed to the sensation. He then treated her to a full onslaught of lips and tongue, and she once again screamed and grabbed the bed sheets hard. In this way he made sure to keep her always on the edge, between teasing and pleasure, until she started to squirm uncomfortably.

"Sesshomaru…" she murmured, confused and concerned.

"Relax," was all he uttered before returning to his task.

From the far-off corners of Kagome's modern mind she recalled the long-ago sex ed classes, and she knew what was going to happen. But something wasn't right, she felt as if she were burning up inside, like she couldn't breathe. Every moment it grew worse and worse, and she felt as if she would come apart at the seams, a terrible wrenching in her gut.

And then it was if she broke the surface of the water, long devoid of air, and her whole body tensed with her climax, sitting her up a moment before throwing her back joyfully into the bed. It was unreal, she thought, as if there were fireworks going off in her brain, and she felt like electricity running out of her fingers and toes.

But what was most surprising was that Sesshomaru did not stop. The sensation went on and on, and Kagome felt once more that it was too, too much.

"Sess…Sesshomaru…! S-stop… no…" She reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair, pushing him away, but he continued a moment longer before relenting.

He glanced up at her, looking quite pleased with himself. She was a bit taken aback as he licked his lips, and then moved to her side.

She frowned a little. "Why didn't you stop?"

His eyes held a secret smile. "Because you liked it."

Kagome blinked rapidly, first at his arrogance, and then as she realized that he was, in fact, _right_. She had liked it _very _much, so much it scared her. She smiled a little and he kissed her, Soft, at first, and then more eagerly. She returned the kisses fervently, intensely happy. After only a few moments, though, she was surprised to find herself responding once again. Unconsciously, she pressed her hips against Sesshomaru's, wanting more. He growled against her lips, quite pleased.

He made to untie his Hakama, but she stopped him boldly, feeling a little braver. She undid the knot, but hesitated before pushing it down. Sure, she'd taken anatomy in high school, but those were just pictures. And that was _human_ anatomy. Seizing the last ounce of bravery she had left, she moved the fabric down off his hips.

Kagome's eyebrows jumped towards her hairline and Sesshomaru just smiled. He kicked the Hakama off the rest of the way, and pulled her into his arms. She was surprised once again by his move, which placed her in what she thought was the dominant position. She felt awkward on top, unsure and inexperienced. Sesshomaru seemed totally unconcerned, though, and gently used his hands to coax her into straddling him. She was exposed, sitting up, and he took advantage of the situation to admire her naked body.

Just as she began to blush, though, he took hold of her hips and moved her. She gasped as the motion rubbed his completely hardened erection against her now very sensitive folds, still slick with her first climax. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and growled low, digging his fingertips into her hips a little. She leaned forward to brace herself with her arms, her breath coming quickly. Her hair swung forward to tickle his neck, and his eyes shot open.

"Do you want this?" he asked, his gaze so intense she knew instantly that if she said no he would stop, even now.

She couldn't. "Yes," she moaned, biting her lip and closing her eyes at the intensity of the feeling which washed over her.

He lifted her hips, and she felt him pressing against her. She was so close to the edge it felt like torture, and without a moment's hesitation she moved down, pressing him into her. She froze instantly, though, and winced. Her instinct was to move back up, but Sesshomaru's vice-like grip kept her from doing so. She whimpered as he pushed her down further and she stretched to accommodate him, painfully. She leaned forward until her head was against his shoulder, and grabbed his arms tightly.

"Don't fight me, Kagome," he whispered, and the surprising tenderness of it was enough to distract her. "Breathe," he suggested, and she found upon complying that air was in fact a very nice thing to have. Sooner than she expected, Kagome felt her body flush with his once again. She still held on to his arms as if for dear life, and he smoothed tender kisses over her cheek until she had relaxed. He withdrew and plunged deep into her again before she could respond and she gasped at the drastic difference.

Content that she was comfortable, Sesshomaru moved her to the flat of her back and picked up a slow, even pace. Her eyes widened, she moaned at the difference the new angle made. Her fingers dug into his shoulders once more, but it was different now. He increased the tempo gradually, and she wrapped her legs around his waist to draw him in deeper. She felt the tension build again, different but familiar and she welcomed it this time.

"Oh, Sesshomaru," she purred in his ear, spurring him on.

He smiled a little and shifted the angle once again, and was rewarded with a cry of pleasure. But as she drew closer he too felt the pressure build up, and lost himself to the rhythm of their movement.

Kagome's moaning began to rise in pitch and volume, until she suddenly tensed up, clinging to him as if she were drowning. "Oh, God!" she screamed, and arched her back up off the bed.

He felt her tighten around him and it was enough to send him over the edge and more. One arm slid under her back to press her against him, lifting her off the bed almost completely. "Kagome…" he growled, and then tensed up himself, biting her shoulder hard.

Kagome was too lost in her climax for it to hurt very much, but it alarmed her momentarily. She trembled as she held onto him, and felt the energy rush out of her as it all ended.

They collapsed to the bed together, and Sesshomaru let go of her shoulder. They both struggled to catch their breath, and he tenderly licked the wound on her shoulder, which she found strangely enticing. She nuzzled her face against his neck, which he seemed to like because he started kissing her lips softly. At last he moved to her side, and she whimpered a little at the loss of his presence. She smiled, though, as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her towards him.

"Sleep," he whispered.

"Mm-hmm…" she agreed, and slipped into blissful blackness.

_A/N_

_YAAAAAY!!!! LEMON!!!!!! Lol._

_Ok, so I realized I may have made Sesshomaru a little out of character, but I would imagine he would be concerned with it being his first time. You'll have to forgive me since I've only ever slept with my hubby and so to me intimacytenderness 'cause he's a totally sweetheart. Don't worry, though, there will be time for kinky, unabashed carnality later! . I just think a girl's first time should be sweet and kind. shrugs_

_I would like to dedicate this chapter to my hubby, who is to my knowledge the hottest, kinkiest sex god in the world. And I'm quite content to go on believing that._

_On a completely different note but still speaking of hot guys, last night I dreamt I was playing FFVII, actually as Cloud (but I was still a girl, still me, I was just actually living the game, you know) And when Sephiroth showed up I got so excited I actually woke up. I laughed at my extreme dorkiness for a full 15 minutes before I fell back asleep. Rofl._


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome felt herself floating up from sleep to consciousness, a vague fuzzy feeling encouraging her to fight it. Of course, this only made her wake faster, and she sighed heavily as she became aware of the light beyond her eyelids. She was surprised, however, by the brush of soft lips on her forehead, and without opening her eyes, she felt herself beneath some sort of thin blanket, skin pressed against hers.

_Sesshomaru_. She opened her eyes, blinking a little until his face came into focus. "Were you watching me sleep?" she said in lieu of a 'good morning.'

He smirked and propped his head up with his elbow. "It is a favorite hobby of mine, I have found."

She smiled back and turned on her side to face him better. "No, I mean all night." A few strands of Sesshomaru's hair slid over his shoulder and caught the rays of light that slipped in through the shoji. Kagome was momentarily mesmerized by the effect.

"I slept for a while," he admitted.

A sudden wicked thought occurred to her, that their endeavors had worn him out, but despite her grin his face gave away nothing. He merely brushed a few hairs out of her face.

"I felt a deep peace I rarely experience, and so I slept," he excused, seeming to read her expression, and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I have not yet begun to exert myself."

She shivered and grinned at his typical arrogance. She kissed him, briefly, wary of seeming too cuddly for him, and then stretched. Their covering was Sesshomaru's inner haori, and she clutched it to herself absently as she sat up.

She winced, finding herself vaguely sore, and not at all surprised. She felt deliciously rumpled but stiff, and rather unclean. Glimpsing beneath the covering she saw a little dried blood—of course, she mentally chided herself. It had been her first time. She had been a virgin before this.

Suddenly a terrifying thought came to her. All miko were virgins. What if that meant that now she had no power? Panicked, she tried to summon her spiritual energy, and was rewarded with a faint buzzing. Sesshomaru jerked his leg away from where it had been against her knee, and she glanced back, surprised.

His expression said not so much 'ow, that hurt,' as 'why the hell did you do that?' "I… I thought that I might have lost my powers…" she explained.

He frowned. "Why?"

She shrugged, and glanced down to notice that he was totally exposed, and not self conscious in the least. She whipped her head around, hoping that he wouldn't notice the blush, knowing he would smell it anyway. "Miko are virgins…" she said lamely.

He sat up behind her and took hold of her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs back and forth slowly. "Yes, technically. So, you cannot preside at ceremonies. There's nowhere that says you loose the powers you were born with." His voice was as light as she'd ever heard it, and she guessed he was making an attempt at comforting her. He leaned forward further, slightly nuzzling his face into her neck and breathing deeply.

"You would make an excellent kuromiko, if you gave me your soul," he murmured suggestively. She turned to glare at him playfully, but he just smirked, making her laugh.

"I wouldn't know how," she dismissed, and he gave the merest of shrugs to indicate he didn't either, before letting his eyes wander lower on her figure.

She blushed again and turned away, but he wrapped his arms around her to pull her back against his chest. She sighed, comfortable, unexpectedly happy. He reached up to brush a finger along her left collarbone and she winced slightly when his finger caught on the new scabs. She twisted her neck uncomfortably to try and see it.

"Wow… that looks worse than I thought it was…" she reached up and poked it herself. "It looks like it will scar." Great, another one to match the ragged gash on her side, among other smaller gems of her collection.

"It's meant to," he said without explanation.

She turned around, modesty forgotten, trying to find the words to ask a reason. It wasn't like him to do something, anything without meaning. "Why?" was all she managed.

A dark look crossed his eyes, unfamiliar to Kagome, and she wondered if it was guilt. "It marks you. As mine."

Kagome felt the oddest emotion wash over her. She would have expected shock, anger, maybe even a blush, but instead she felt sort of… honored. She fingered the wound with a sense of affection.

There was a period of silence, although not entirely uncomfortable, just a little awkward. It was all so new to her, and Sesshomaru's unusually affectionate morning-after mood seemed to be wearing off. Kagome idly fingered her clothes, turning her shirt right-side out, and eyeing her panties across the room.

Suddenly Sesshomaru grabbed his hakama and stood up. Kagome didn't look. "You should make use of the hot springs," he said. "I believe it will help. I will join you after a while." Slipping on only his outer haori over his hakama and picking up his sword, he opened the shoji only a fraction and went outside.

Kagome dressed slowly, discovering new aspects to her soreness. There were some thin towels beneath the table, and she grabbed a couple, undid the sound barrier lest the servants discover it, and set out on the path to the hot spring.

_AN:_

_I know, long time, no update, and now a really short chapter. But I promise that the next chapter is already underway! I just wanted to give you guys the heads up that I am actually updating this now!_

_Funny thing, I didn't really have much intention to write any more of this, I have a bad habit of dropping stories once the sexual tension is relieved, but first my MOM and then one of my friends got really sucked into it and insisted I write more! And they don't even WATCH InuYasha! _

_It kinda weirds me out that my mom likes the way I write lemon, though._


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